


Sacramentum

by welcometotheupsidedown



Series: In Every Universe - Mileven Alternate Universes [6]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Don't read if you're triggered by any type of abuse, F/M, Falling In Love, Fear of love, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Mystery, Past Abuse, Secret Identity, This is a serious fic with serious topics, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 33,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23754130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/welcometotheupsidedown/pseuds/welcometotheupsidedown
Summary: Some things just never go away. At least, that's what El Ives has realized. After a tragic and painful past, El finds herself falling in love with Mike, a man who doesn't realize the true nature of what getting into a relationship with El actually means. She has baggage that doesn't just disappear, but Mike has determination unlike any other person she's ever met.**This work contains mature themes of violence and abuse. Do NOT read this if you will be triggered by such things.**COMPLETE
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Series: In Every Universe - Mileven Alternate Universes [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1265420
Comments: 37
Kudos: 62





	1. Jane

**Author's Note:**

> What's this? Yet another Mileven multi-chapter AU? When I have like four other fanfics I could be working on? Why yes, yes it is. Inspiration comes at random, what can I say? 
> 
> As I'm sure you've read in the summary and/or tags, this one is a bit more than just a love story. While, yes, it is a love story, it also has a lot more going on. I don't want to spoil anything, but double check the tags. This is the last warning I will give. However, I promise that even though there are heavy themes in this, there will be plenty of Mileven fluff.

Feeling cold and overwhelmed with fear, she kept running. He surely wouldn’t be far behind her, and if he caught up, this would surely be the last day of her life. The grass was damp on her bare feet, she hadn’t had the time to grab shoes. The only thing she had was the duffle bag she’d packed the day prior, and the clothes on her back. She could hear him following, he wasn’t as close as he had been. He was probably getting tired. She would’ve been too, but her adrenaline was at an all time high. 

She found the old road that was rarely used anymore, it’s pavement caving in a little at the center. She followed it to the bridge, crossed it, and then dove deeper into the woods on the other side. There wasn’t anything out there. It would be the last place he’d expect her to go. She knew it was dangerous to run through the woods without a proper destination, but this was her last hope. 

She ran until she could barely breathe. Stopping behind a tree, she listened closely. The night was no longer filled with the sounds of his screams, but with the sounds of crickets and the light rain. She sat down, catching her breath. She wasn’t yet safe, but she was much safer than she’d been in the last five years. 

She sat for just long enough to catch her breath, then set off again, into the dense greenery of the woods, where she could finally make her escape.

……..

Two Years Later

“Shut up!” 

“No, you shut up!”

“Both of you shut up! You’re both going to kill us all!”

Four 25 year old men, who had been friends for years, sit in an apartment on the tenth floor. It was Seattle, always raining, so what else did they have to do other than playing video games? Of these men, there was Will, the only one of them who was not shouting, the peacemaker of the group. There was also Dustin, curly-headed with a baseball cap at all times, the most energetic of the group. Then there was Lucas, the most daring of the group. And finally, there was Mike, the leader, tall, dark-haired, and skinny. It was his apartment they often hung out in. It was funny. When they were kids, it was always his basement they’d come to do the same thing in. 

“Oh, are you kidding me, Dustin!” Lucas shouted.

“What? I didn’t do anything!” Dustin replied. 

“Exactly! That’s the point! You just let them kill me?” Lucas yelled, gesturing wildly at the TV screen. 

“Okay, you know what?” Mike said, standing. 

He walked over to the console and unplugged it. 

“I’m tired of your shit, so we’re finding something else to do,” Mike told them. 

Lucas rolled his eyes and set his controller down on the coffee table. 

“Like what?” Dustin asked. 

“I don’t know. We could go to Bradley’s?” Mike suggested. Bradley’s was the local bar. The four friends went every once in a while. 

“We were there three days ago,” Will said. 

“Okay... well, what about Benny’s?” Dustin tried. 

“Nah, last time we were there, there was a huge wait. I don’t wanna do that again,” Lucas replied. 

“Well, what do you suggest we do Lucas?” Mike was getting annoyed. 

“I don’t know, it’s Seattle. There’s gotta be somewhere we could go,” Lucas answered. 

They all thought for a moment. 

“What about the one bar that’s uptown?” Mike finally said. 

“You just wanna go see that hot girl again?” Dustin snorted. 

“So what? Maybe I have a shot?” 

Dustin laughed. “Trust me, Mike. No offense, but a girl like that... man she’s way out of your league.”

“You know what? I think I will go,” Mike said. “Alone.” 

He grabbed his jacket, wallet, and keys, and walked out of his own apartment. 

“Was that really necessary?” Will asked. 

“Tell me about it,” chuckled Dustin. 

“I was talking about you!” Will punched his friend in the arm. 

“Ow! Sorry, Jesus!.... still, Mike’s got absolutely no shot with her. “

........

El was filling up a shot glass with whiskey when Max, her one and only friend, snuck up behind her and whispered, “He’s here again.”

“What? Who are you talking about?” El replied. 

“You know, that lanky guy that has the hots for you? Black hair, sitting over there,” Max gestured. 

“He so does not have the hots for me,” El rolled her eyes. “Stop trying to set me up with random guys at the bar.”

“Hold up. First off, he definitely likes you, okay? You’re hot. I’m not gonna lie, if I was into girls, you’d be my first pick. Second, he’s not some random guy, he’s shown up like six or seven times in the last month. He’s almost a regular,” Max reasoned.

El glanced over at him, and surely enough, he sat at the bar, looking right at her. She turned away quickly to avert his gaze. “I don’t know, Max. You know how I feel about relationships.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Not worth it, too much chaos, men suck, blah blah blah. But seriously, El, how long has it been?” Max asked. 

“How long has what been?” El said, handing the shot glass to an older man. 

“How long has it been since you’ve had sex?” Max replied bluntly.

“Oh my God, Max!” El shouted, her face turning a little red. 

“What?” Max asked casually. “You’re twenty-five, El. Surely you have sexual feelings.”

El stiffened a little, but answered, “What’s your point?”

“I’m just saying… you don’t have to get into a relationship with the guy if you don’t want to, but… you could still go for the friends with benefits route,” Max suggested, wiggling her eyebrows. 

El glared at her. “I’m not going to have sex with him. But since you’re so insistent on me talking to him, I will go take his order.”

“Oooh, that’s hot,” Max joked, as El walked away from her and towards the guy.

“Hi, how can I help you?” El said, putting on her best customer service smile.

“Oh, um, just a beer please,” the man told her. 

El smiled, and nodded, walking back over to Max. She grabbed a glass and started to pour the beer into it. 

“Jesus, El. Have an actual conversation with guy. Please? For me?” Max complained.

El didn’t answer and carried the glass back to the guy. 

“Thanks… um?” He appeared to be looking for a name tag, but El wasn’t wearing one.

“El,” she supplied.

“El. Thanks, El,” the man repeated. Great. Now he knew her name. 

She was about to go back to the other side of the bar, when she saw Max, who was gesturing for her to keep talking. El rolled her eyes, but turned back to face the man again.

“So… I think I’ve seen you here a few times. Aren’t you usually with a group of friends?” she asked.

“Yeah, but they were annoying the shit out of me tonight, so I thought I’d come alone,” he replied. 

“Yeah, my friends annoy the shit out of me too,” she glanced back towards Max. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I asked your name..”

“Mike.”

“Well, it has been a pleasure to meet you, Mike,” she said politely. “I’m guessing you’ll be back.”

“Yeah, this place is a lot cleaner than some of the other places I’ve been,” Mike replied. 

El laughed. “Well, I’ve got to get back to work. See you later, Mike.”

“Wait,” Mike said. “I was actually hoping I could get your number.”

El felt a horrible pang of guilt as she answered, “Sorry, Mike. I can’t.”

“Oh.. that’s okay… you have a boyfriend or husband or something?” 

“No.. I just… I can’t. Sorry,” El walked away, leaving Mike feeling alone and rejected. She hated doing that to him, especially when Mike was so sweet. 

Maybe someday, El could feel normal again. 

……..

Mike left the bar an hour later. After the beer, the other waitress, the redhead, had served him two shots of vodka, and he was feeling sufficiently buzzed. 

So, his first attempt at getting El’s number had gone wrong. That was okay. Minor setback. That didn’t mean that she wouldn’t eventually give it to him. After all, it had been her who initiated their conversation tonight. It was her who made small talk. 

Maybe she was one of those girls who played hard to get? She did seem genuinely sorry about not giving him her number. Maybe he just needed to get to know her better. Hell, she worked in a bar! Someone probably asks for her number every day. Maybe if he built a foundation with her… 

Mike stumbled back into his apartment, to find that it was not empty as he had hoped. Lucas and Dustin were gone, but Will was waiting for him.

“Hey, I thought I should wait for you to get back… are you drunk?” Will said suddenly.

“No, I’m fine,” Mike replied.

“Mike, your such a lightweight. If you had more than one drink, I guarantee you’re drunk,” Will shook his head in exasperation. 

“Okay, fine.. maybe just a little drunk,” Mike admitted. 

“What happened?” Will asked.

“I asked for her number,” Mike said. “She said no.”

“Oh… I’m sorry, Mike,” Will replied. 

“But I’m gonna try again. Maybe we could go tomorrow?” Mike suggested. 

“Mike… are you sure that’s a good idea?”  
“What else do I have to lose?”

……..

“He’s back,” Max said in a sing-song tone. 

El rolled her eyes, already knowing who had just walked in. She turned, and sure enough, the now more easily recognizable mop of black hair was sitting down at a table near the bar. This time, however, he had backup: a shorter man with light brown hair. 

El watched as Mike talked to his friend, not realizing that Max was smirking at her. 

“So, are we finally going to admit that you’re attracted to him?” Max teased. 

El blushed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Max rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. “Whatever, but I’m not taking his order.”

El sighed, and returned her gaze back over to him, only to find his eyes staring right back at her. He looked away quickly, his cheeks getting a little pink. 

El felt, for the first time in a long time, her heart giving a little flutter. The guilt she held for not giving him her number more than doubled at the sight of him again. He actually was very, very cute. 

She decided, standing up a little straighter, that she needed to go over there to take his order. She held her head high, trying to seem confident and kind at the same time. Maybe, she could do some damage control. 

As El walked over to Mike, his friend looked up at her. She had expected to see judgement in his eyes, since Mike had probably told him about last night, but all she found there was curiosity and care. 

She smiled. “Hi guys, what can I get for you tonight?” She made sure to make eye contact with Mike, not wanting to seem afraid to talk to him. 

“Can I get a beer?” Mike asked.

“Of course,” El answered. “And for you?” she addressed his friend. 

“I’d like a beer as well,” he stated. 

“Alright,” El smiled. “Two beers, coming right up.”

For the entire night, El found herself visiting Mike’s table over and over again, more often than the others, even just to check in. Neither of them mentioned the previous night. 

On the outside, El was trying to be a delightful waitress. But on the inside, she was having an internal battle between her heart and her brain. 

Her brain had failed her before. 

But so had her heart. 

At the end of the night, as Mike and his friend had their final round of drinks, El’s heart won the battle, and she slipped Mike a napkin with her phone number on it. 

She watched from afar as he folded the napkin, carefully putting it in his pocket. She could’ve sworn there was a hint of a smile on his face as he left the bar. 

........

Six Years Ago

A beautiful young woman holds a wedding dress up to her small figure, grinning with excitement. 

“Jane,” her mother says. “You’re going to be a gorgeous bride.”

Jane smiles. “Well, we better get started then. The wedding is in three hours.”

Jane’s mother nods, walking up to her daughter to help her get the dress on. There’s a tiny bruise on her back. She zips Jane up, and fluffs her hair. The wild brunette curls nearly reach her hips. 

“Darling, I wanted to ask you something before the wedding,” her mother says gently. 

“What is it?” Jane asks.

“Are you really sure you want to marry Thomas?” 

“Of course I do,” Jane answers defensively. 

“It’s just.. you are awfully young, sweetheart,” her mother added. 

“So were you and dad,” Jane replied fiercely. 

“Yes, I know,” her mother nodded. “But I worry about you sometimes. I mean, you’ve only known Thomas for a year.”

“I love him, Mom,” Jane says. There’s a twinge of fear in the statement that is so small, Jane’s mother doesn’t notice it. 

“Well... then, let’s get you ready.”

If only that little bruise was the only terrible thing that Thomas would do to Jane.


	2. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tension begins to rise as El deals with past traumas and her growing feelings for Mike. Mike begins to notice El's tendency to change the subject when the conversation turns to the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I meant to post this a couple days ago, but I got stuck for a day or two. Anyways, enjoy!

Bare feet caked in mud walk slowly through the woods. It’s been hours now, and she’s several miles from her home. Though now, the place is certainly not home. 

With each step, she puts further distance between him and herself. She’s sure he hasn’t followed her all the way out here, but that doesn’t mean he won’t start looking again. 

Although, it’s taken her all night to make it this far, she fears he’ll find a way to catch up to her, or maybe even catch her in the next town she comes across. 

The feeling of exhaustion is almost overwhelming. As the sun rises into the sky, she feels the fear lessen, and the desperation to get away slip further from her grasp. But inside, she knows if she sees him again, that adrenaline from last night will return. 

She will not be imprisoned any longer. 

It takes nearly two more hours before she finds civilization again. It’s not even a town, just a small farmhouse with a small array of barns and cattle. She walks up to the front door of the house, hoping to God that whoever answers will be kind enough to let her freshen up and find a way out of the state. 

She takes a deep breath, knocking on the door. 

A pregnant woman answers the door, only reminding her of the horrors she’s just left behind. She stares blankly at the woman for a moment, then says, “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’ve been on my feet all night, and I need a place to stay or at least to take a break.”

The woman looks at her closely, no doubt seeing the bruises, her disgusting appearance, and the blazing fear in her eyes. She nods, then replies, “Come in, please. I’m making lunch now, I can make you some too.” 

It’s not a question. The woman seems to understand her situation enough to care for her. 

“I can run you a bath too, if you’d like?” This is a question. The pregnant woman looks at her, speaking more words with her eyes than her mouth. 

“Yes,” she answers, “thank you.”

“What is your name?” 

“Jane.”

........

Two years later

Mike could feel the napkin with El’s phone number on it burning a hole through his pocket. He was itching to put it to use, but he’d only just left the bar, and to text or call now would just be plain desperate. 

He tried not to be too smug when he told the rest of his friends the following day. El gave him her number, and it didn’t even take a second try. He’d been right about her. She had felt bad about not giving it to him when he’d asked. Now, he just wanted to know why she hesitated, why it took nearly twenty four hours of contemplation before she finally gave in. 

“Don’t be too excited,” Dustin said, “She probably fake-numbered you out of pity.”

“People don’t actually do that,” Mike replied. 

“Of course they do, I do it all the time,” Dustin told him.

“Bullshit, no way. If any girl shows interest in you, you’re automatically in love with her,” Mike countered. 

“I have done it! I’ve given a fake number to someone before! She was this really sad girl, she looked like a real mess. I gave her a fake number out of pity.”

“So you’re telling me, that you gave a depressed girl something else to be depressed about? That was an asshole move,” Mike said. 

They argued for some time, until Will managed to get them to stop. 

Still, not wanting to seem too eager, Mike didn’t text El until his friends were gone. He was grinning like a crazy person as he typed the message. 

Mike: Hey, it’s Mike. Glad you decided to give me the number after all. 

His response came two minutes later.

El: Yeah… I wanted to give it to you before, but I’m not the best at these kinds of things. 

Mike: That’s okay, I’m not either. So, what’s it like being a bartender?

El: Oh, you know, just booze and an enormous amount of men hitting on me.

Mike: An enormous amount? Yikes

El: it’s okay, I usually just spit in their drinks

Mike: you didn’t.. spit in my drink did you?

El: No. Technically you didn’t hit on me. You are probably the first guy to just ask nicely.

Mike: So, what are you up to right now? 

El: Watching Netflix, no work tonight. You never told me what you do?

Mike: I work for Apple. I make the MacBooks. 

El: Wow, so you’re like a real scientist

Mike: More like a glorified IT guy, but I like yours better… Hey, would you mind talking on the phone. I prefer that to texting.

El: Yeah, me too.

Mike pressed the call button, and was delighted when El answered almost immediately. 

“Hey,” she said. Her voice was beautiful, even through a phone. 

“Hey,” Mike repeated. 

The next few days were filled with phone calls to and from El. And because they were working opposite schedules, Mike found himself calling her from work. Luckily, he can build computers and talk at the same time. 

Something Mike began to notice, though, was that El was hiding something. While Mike was open and talkative about pretty much everything, El would steer the conversation away from certain things. Every time Mike would ask her about her family or life before she became a bartender, she would give the most minimal answer.

So far, Mike’s told El about his two sisters, his parents, college, and everything about moving to Seattle from Chicago. The only things Mike has learned about El’s family and past is that she has a mother and father, who she doesn’t talk to anymore, and she moved to Seattle two years ago. That is all she is willing to tell him.

Mike wants to know why, he wants to know more about her, but he’s too afraid to ask. Whatever it is, El has a past that is clearly something she doesn’t want others to know. Mike won’t force her to talk, but he has to admit, it’s kind of hard to not know these things about her. Over the course of a few short days, he already knows that her favorite color is purple, she loves 80s music, and hates wearing high heels. All of this is good to know, but it’s not very deep. 

He wants more, but El’s too scared to give it. This is part of the reason Mike won’t ask her out yet, because he’s afraid to scare her away. He’s afraid if he moves too quickly, he’ll lose her forever. And he doesn’t want to lose her. El’s special. He knows she is. He just needs to figure out why. 

Mike has always swore that he would never give in to the 21st century form of dating, where there is so much build up and focus on a “talking” stage rather than an immediate dating stage. But with El, he’s been forced into it, and now he’s afraid to change anything, but also worried that not changing anything will get him stuck in the friend zone. (As Dustin so nicely tells him.)

One things for certain though. Mike’s not going down without a fight. He will eventually ask her out. He’s determined.

……..

El has messed up. She’s really fucking screwed now. 

She made a pact, one that’s lasted two years so far. She was swearing off men, and giving up on love. She wasn’t worthy of it. 

But now, she’s went and started something with Mike, and she can’t seem to stop herself from feeling something for him. She should just ghost him. Stop talking all together, and forget about it. 

But she doesn’t. She doesn’t want to. Mike’s a great guy, so different from…. the others. He’s kind and makes her laugh. She likes everything about him. 

El just can’t seem to bring herself to tell him. 

To tell him about everything that has happened to her, the risk she’s taking by starting something new, the risk he’ll be in if this continues into a full blown relationship. Just as she was starting to feel safe again, everything has to go and change.

Another part of her wants to tell Mike everything, wants someone else to shoulder some of the burden she holds every day. But once Mike knows, he won’t want her anymore, and El will lose him as a friend. 

And somehow, that’s even worse than the risk. But still, she can’t tell him. Not yet. It’s way too soon. 

This is what El is thinking about when Max pulls her out of it. 

“Hey!” Max was in front of her, shaking her shoulders.

“What? Sorry,” El replied half-heartedly.

“What’s going on with you?” Max asked. And El knew that this conversation would be a more serious one. Max rarely stopped joking around, but there was no humor in the look she was giving her now. 

“Nothing,” El tried to walk past her, and continue her duties as a bartender, but Max caught her by the arm, and pulled to the back room of the bar.

“El, it’s not nothing. I’m your best friend, you can tell me anything, you know,” Max told her.

El sighed, and sat down in a chair. She trusted Max, but she swore she would never tell anyone what had happened to her. But that was before Mike. 

Max sat down too, looking at El hopeful that she would tell her what was wrong.

So El did. She started at the very beginning, and went straight through to the end. She left out some of the story, not ready to reveal those things quite yet, but for the most part, she told Max everything. Then, she told Max about her worries about starting something new with Mike. Max listened intently the whole time. El knew she was getting angry as she told the story by the way she balled up her fists, but none of the anger showed on her face, only compassion for her best friend. 

“I’ve never told anyone about that before. None of it,” El finished. 

“I’m so sorry that happened to you, El,” Max held El’s hand. “What can I do?”

El wiped away a single tear as it fell down her cheek. “Not much you can do. What’s done is done. You can’t change the past… but I guess you could tell me what to do about this Mike situation.”

Max nodded and thought for a moment. “El.. I don’t think that Mike would want you any less if you told that story to him. But if you’re not ready yet, you should wait. Make up some excuse as to why you won’t tell him everything yet. And then, once you feel like you trust him enough, tell him everything you just told me. I don’t think that swearing off guys for the rest of your life is the answer to your problems, El. Don’t inhibit yourself from ever falling in love again.”

……..

“Mike!” his supervisor shouted. 

Mike looked up from the MacBook he was working on. “What’s up?”

“Your phone’s been buzzing in the break room for the last ten minutes,” his supervisor said, handing the phone over. 

“Sorry, must’ve left it in there after lunch,” Mike replied, then pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

“Hey dude, you busy?” Lucas asked through the phone. 

“No, well yes, but I can talk while I work. Don’t say anything stupid, cuz I’ll have to put you on speaker phone,” Mike laid his phone down next to the computer. 

“So, we’re trying to make plans for this Friday, and we need help deciding what we’re going to do.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“Will wants to rent a movie, and Dustin wants to go out and get Chinese food,” Lucas said.

“So… why don’t you rent a movie and order the Chinese?” Mike suggested.

“Dustin says the take out Chinese sucks ass,” Lucas explained. 

“Tell Dustin to man up and eat the damn take out. I’ve had it, and it does not taste like ass,” Mike rolled his eyes as he pictured Dustin arguing this. 

“Fine, I’ll tell him…. Hey, by the way, none of us have heard from you the last few days, what’s been going on?” 

“Oh sorry, I’ve just been talking to El a lot,” Mike answered. 

“That girl from the bar?” Lucas asked. 

“Yeah, she’s great,” Mike said.

“Well, you’ll still have time for us on Friday, right?” 

“Oh…” Mike thought for a second. He’d actually been planning to go to the bar that night to see El in person, but he knew his friends would be mad at him for ditching them, like he had this whole week. Maybe he could watch the movie with them, then go see El. “Yeah, definitely. I’ll be there,” he promised. 

“Good. See you then, Paladin,” Lucas said.

“Yep, see ya then.” Mike ended the call, and strategically began to plan out how he was going to hang out with his friends and see El on Friday night. 

……..

After work, Mike had about two hours before El’s shift at the bar would start. This was the best time for them to talk, so for the past few days, they’d always call at this time. 

Mike found her contact in the recents on his phone, and called. 

El’s voice was quiet, as always, but hearing it made Mike instantly happier. 

“Hey,” she answered. 

“Hey,” Mike repeated. 

“How was work?” El asked. 

“Good, my supervisor was busting my ass today, but it was okay. How about you? How was sleeping all morning?” That elicits a giggle from El, making Mike’s heart flutter in his chest. 

“It was great, actually. I haven’t slept that well in years,” and suddenly there was a shift in El’s voice, as if she’d said something that she shouldn’t have, but Mike didn’t understand why her sleeping patterns would be one of the things she keeps a secret. 

“What do you mean?” Mike asked. He knows that she’s keeping something from him. He doesn’t think she’ll tell him, but he wants her to feel like she can if she wants to. 

“Oh, um, I just haven’t slept soundly in a long time. I guess it’s just insomnia or something,” she explained. But Mike didn’t think that this was the whole truth. There’s a bit of fear in her voice that hadn’t been there moments ago. Or maybe he’s just reading into it too much. 

“El...” Mike thinks for a moment. He should ask her if she’s keeping things from him, or maybe he should ease her into it. Just ask why she doesn’t want to talk about the past. 

“El, I’ve told you a lot about growing up and college and my past...” he spoke cautiously. “I was wondering... why you never seem to want to talk about those things, even if it’s only a small detail like why you can’t sleep?”

Mike hears a intake of breath from El, and realizes that he has made a mistake. 

The next thing he hears is dead silence as El hangs up the phone.

........

Five years ago

“Jane!” Thomas called from the kitchen table. 

“Yes?” Jane’s head popped in through the door to the living room. 

“Can you bring me some coffee?” he said, not bothering to look up from his paperwork. 

“It’s 8:30,” Jane told him. “If you have coffee now, you’ll be up all night.”

“I’ll be fine. Make the coffee,” Thomas said shortly. 

“But I’ll have to brew a whole new pot,” Jane argued. 

Thomas finally looked up from his work. “Jane, do as I say. You are my wife. Your job is to cater to me.”

Jane his her anger well. Her face remained emotionless as she replied, “Fine.”

Showing emotion now would only worsen the situation. 

So, she brewed the coffee, put the milk in it and carried it over to Thomas. But as she was walking, she tripped on the rug, and fell, the coffee spraying all over Thomas and his paperwork. The cup was shattered on the floor. 

“Dammit, Jane!” Thomas shouted. “Can’t you fucking walk?” 

Jane knew the slap was coming before she felt it. She took it, as she had many times before. 

As he walked away, she stood. And she thought that maybe if she stood her ground, he would respect her. 

“It’s not my fault!” she yelled. “I tripped on the rug! I didn’t mean to do it!”

Thomas, who was halfway through the door, turning back around, walked forward and shoved her back to the floor. She landed painfully on some of the shards of glass from the cup. 

Thomas left her there on the floor, as she bled and cried, hating the man she had been tricked into loving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, well, well... there certainly is a lot going on in this chapter (and those coming soon). Please let me know in the comments what you guys think so far! I love comments as complex as talking about the plot or characters or as simple as "hey! I liked this!"


	3. Mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike wants an explanation. El's not ready to give it, so they compromise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I did not mean to take almost a month to update this, I've just.. ugh. It's been a rough one, and I haven't had much time to think, let alone write. My goal is to not go more than two weeks between chapters, but sometimes that's a little hard when I have other stuff going on here. Anyway, here's another chapter!

Jane was feeling so tired, she could hardly stay awake, but she was afraid to fall asleep. The pregnant woman who had sheltered her must have sensed this. She sat in a chair opposite of Jane on the couch. 

“You can sleep,” the woman told her. “I promise, you’re safe here.”

Jane resists the urge to laugh out loud. Safe? Jane hasn’t been safe since she was seventeen, and she never will be. 

But still, she can’t avoid sleep forever, and the adrenaline rush from last night is long gone. She took a bath, and ate, and now all she had to do was sleep. She decided to give in to the tiredness, and lied down on the couch. 

When she wakes, the sun is starting to go down. The woman is still sitting in the chair across from her. Jane wonders if she stayed in that spot the entire time she had slept. 

Sitting up, Jane feels better. Sleep had been good for her, even with the soreness that she felt all over her body. 

“I made you some more food,” the woman said, standing. 

“Thank you,” Jane replied. 

The woman returned with some chicken and mashed potatoes, and handed them to Jane. 

“I want you to eat as much as you can, and then I’m going to drive you out of the county,” the woman told her. 

“You don’t have to do that,” Jane began to protest. 

“I insist,” the woman said. 

Jane was afraid, but she needed to get as far away as possible, and soon. So, she agreed. 

She ate the food, taking quick bites, and then she and the woman loaded up in a run-down F-150. The drive was quiet, as neither of the women said anything. Jane felt like she could breathe a little easier with each passing town. Jane was never good at directions, but she knew that they were headed west because they seemed to be following the sun as it touched down to the horizon. 

Jane thought that the woman would drop her off at the first town in the next county, but the woman continued down the highway. “Where are you dropping me off?” she asked. 

“My brother runs a motel a few towns from here. I’m taking you to him, and he’ll help you plan what you’re going to do,” the woman answered. 

“Why are you doing this for me?” Jane looked at the woman closely now. She was really pretty, and seemed well taken care of. But there was an edge in her voice every time she talked.

“Because… my sister was like you. She married her high school sweetheart. And she promised us they were in love, and that everything was going to be great…. I didn’t like the boy, he was rude. She looked right past that though, didn’t even see it. About six months into the marriage, I could tell there was something going on, but she wouldn’t talk to me about it. She took to wearing long sleeves, even in the middle of summer, and I realized why she would do that…. But by then, it was too late…. We found her body in the river a week later.” 

Jane felt more emotions well up inside of her than she thought possible. Fear. Despair. Anger. Gratitude. She didn’t speak, but she knew exactly how that girl must’ve felt. 

Because that was her story too. 

Only somehow, she’d managed to get out just in time. 

……..

Two Years Later

El stared at her cellphone. The exact phone that she’d used to hang up on Mike in a panic. He was observant. He knew she was keeping things from him. How could she have been so stupid? And now, she’s went and messed it up by hanging up on him without giving any explanation at all. 

Maybe it’s better this way. Maybe he won’t even call her back again, now that he thinks she’s completely psycho. But El doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want that at all. El wants to keep talking to Mike. She’s even accepted that somehow this could turn into a real relationship, and she wants to try, she really does. 

But just as she’s almost built up enough courage to press his contact, her phone begins to ring. And of course, it’s him. 

El’s about to answer, but then stops herself. She can’t do this to him. She’s too mentally destroyed to be a good girlfriend, or even a good friend. It’s better this way, she thinks.

For the next few days, El tried to go about her normal life. Mike tried calling several times, but El ignored them and never answered. 

By Friday, he’s stopped trying to call. El hoped this meant he was done trying, but only half-heartedly, she did like the guy after all. 

After the incident, El had called Max, who’d told her to just forget about it for a while, let go and if Mike was as special as she thought he was, then it would all work out. If he wasn’t, well, no harm done. 

Still, El didn’t know what she would do if they did speak again. What would she tell him? The truth was still so terrifying, she didn’t think she could tell him yet. But she couldn’t just not explain herself. She owed him that at least. 

Work was the same as it always was on a Friday night. It was the busiest night, young people and old gathering in one place for a beer or a shot or seven shots, just hoping to drink away their problems. Some of them were just there to hang out with friends, but in El’s experience, most were there to get shit-faced. 

She worked diligently, taking orders, cleaning after the messy people who’d spilled some of their drinks, and avoiding the men who drooled over her. It was a degrading job to have after everything she’d been through, but it made it harder to find her... should someone come looking. 

Of course, El should have known. She should have known that the only reason Mike’s texts and calls had stopped was because he had a plan. She shouldn’t have been surprised when he showed up at the bar, appearing out of nowhere, looking extremely apologetic. But she was. 

“Hey,” he said, when she’d come face-to-face with him. 

“Hey,” she answered softly. 

........

Mike had realized his mistake less than one second after he’d done it. He knew he’d gone too far, and then El had hung up on him. He knew he deserved it, he wasn’t shocked by her reaction. 

He was just curious, and wildly remorseful. 

Mike realized that his mistake could potentially be the end of their.... whatever they were headed towards. The thought was worse than he’d expected. 

Mike had never fallen in love before, but somehow, losing El was an impossible idea to him. She was amazing. 

But he’d gone too far, pushed her before she was ready. He was ashamed of himself. 

He had to make it up to her. He had to apologize. Mike wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to tell him anything about herself until she was ready. That he was just being a dumbass and he would beg to have her back. Okay, maybe that last part was a little much, but he still felt it. 

He tried calling again. 

And again.

And again. 

And again. She never once picked up. 

He made plans to go see her in person. Friday night, just as they had planned. He stopped trying to call her. It was a lost cause and the only way that he was going to talk to her again was if he showed up at the bar. 

Still, even in his planning and disappointment with himself, he couldn’t help the fact that his mind was now racing with the possibilities. What was so bad that El didn’t want to tell him? Something was off. Something was very very wrong. Why else would she have reacted that way? 

With his plans to go to the bar on Friday night and the curiosity that was driving him insane, Mike forgot that he was supposed to spend Friday night with his friends. He went straight to the bar after work, not thinking about the friends that were waiting on him to arrive at Lucas’s apartment, in pursuit of a girl who might not even want him.

When he opened the bar door, he was hit with the smell of beer that he’d come accustomed to in the few times he’d come here. It was almost a comforting smell because it reminded him of El. And speak of the devil, there she was, serving drinks to a couple on one end of the bar, smiling sweetly at them as they passed her a tip and she placed it hastily in her pocket. 

Mike moved quickly to the other end of the bar, which was blessedly empty. She didn’t even see him until she was right in front of him. 

She looked surprised that he’d shown. But not angry. Thank God for that. 

“Hey,” Mike said.

“Hey,” she answered quietly. 

“I know you’re probably pissed at me… can we talk? I want to apologize,” Mike asked. 

A look of fear crossed El’s face, but in an amazing turn of events, she did not back away from it. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m the one at fault here…. But yes, we can talk… um, give me ten more minutes, and then I’ll be on my break?”

“Sure,” Mike replied. 

He watched her as she worked. He could see that she was a little panicked, but she was fighting it. She wasn’t going to run away from him. She was going to give him some sort of an explanation. That was more than Mike could ask for. 

When she finally did come back to him, she motioned for him to follow her. Mike stood quickly and followed as she led him through the back exit of the bar. They were in a dark alley now. Normally, Mike would be a little wary of the place, but there were no doors near them except for the one they’d come out of, and there was no one else around. The street was visible, and he could see cars passing by. 

He looked up to see El, standing with her arms wrapped around herself, like she was holding herself together. 

“I’m sorry for hanging up on you,” she spoke softly, breaking the silence between them.

“No, El, I was being too pushy, it’s my fault,” Mike insisted.

“No, no, you were right… I don’t like to talk about my past,” El admitted.

“Why?” Mike asked before he could stop himself.

“Because my past terrifies me. I… I’ve made mistakes, Mike. And even though they happened when I was young, I should have… I should have known that it would be a mistake…. That’s why I’m afraid to get close to you. I’m afraid that if you know about my past, you’ll look at me differently. I won’t just be El to you anymore… It scares me to think about it.”

“El, nothing you say will change the way I see you,” Mike told her.

“But you don’t know that!” El bursted. “You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“So tell me,” he whispered, thrown off by the emotion she was showing. 

“I want to.”

“So why can’t you?” 

“Because I’m afraid he’ll hurt you!” she yelled. 

“Who?” Mike was beyond confused, but he knew whatever El was talking about was serious. She was crying now.

El shook her head. “I’m not ready…. I can’t tell you yet.”

“Okay,” Mike said, putting his hands up. “You don’t have to tell me. Yet.”

“Yet?” 

“Yeah, I do want to know eventually. If you and I are going to continue this thing, I want to know everything about you. But not before you’re ready to tell me.”

“You… you still want me?” El sounded small.

“Of course I do. I know we haven’t really talked about it yet, but… this is the closest thing I’ve ever felt to being in love El, and we haven’t even gone on a real date yet. I’m not about to give up on you so easily,” he said.

El didn’t speak, but she looked at him in a way that told him she was feeling it too. It was like they were magnets. Their desire to be near one another was undeniable. 

“So, what d’ya say? You wanna go on that date?” Mike asked her, trying to seem more confident than he actually was. 

Even though El was still sniffling, she smiled. “Yes,” she answered. 

Not knowing what to do next, Mike stood waiting for El to move first.

A moment later, she took the two steps from her spot to hug him tightly. “Thank you…. for being so understanding,” she whispered. “And I will tell you… eventually.”

Mike smiled, “No problem.” 

Mike stayed at the bar until it was time to close. He walked El home, holding her hand the whole way. 

“So, when is this date?” El asked suddenly.

“Well… when are you free?” Mike replied, smiling down at her.

“I have Monday nights off,” El suggested. 

Mike grinned even wider. “Sounds like a plan… I’ll pick you up at seven?”

“What are we doing?” El asked. 

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out.”

A few minutes later, they reached El’s apartment. El kissed Mike on the cheek, and he left to go home to his own apartment. As Mike walked home, he could hardly believe he had a date with El Ives on Monday night.

……..

“So, he’s not coming is he?” Dustin asked. 

“No, he’s not,” Will answered. 

“Dumbass,” Lucas remarked. 

“I hope to God that girl he’s with is worth it,” Dustin said. 

……..

Four Years Ago

“Keep your mouth shut, and we won’t have a problem tonight,” Thomas whispered as they walked into the home of one of his colleagues. Jane already knew what her job for the night was. Sit down, shut up, and be her husband’s eye candy. She was dressed in a dress that she hadn’t really liked. It was more provocative than classy, but Jane knew she couldn’t argue with Thomas about it. He’d picked it out, and made sure that it was a size too small so that it was tight on her. She didn’t want another argument, so she went along with it.

Jane had been planning to stay quiet all night, she was going to follow his rules. Eighteen-year-old Jane would not have fallen in love with this Thomas. She’d fallen in love with the lie. Twenty-one-year-old Jane knew better. Staying with Thomas was a survival instinct, not love.

But even twenty-one-year-old Jane made mistakes, and paid for them. She paid for them with the words he would shout. She paid for them with the beatings she took. She paid for them with his body forcing itself upon hers when she didn’t ask for it. She paid for it every morning when she woke up and was still living in this nightmare. 

So for tonight, Jane was on her best behavior. And she might actually not hate her life as much in the morning. Of course, that all depended on her husband’s mood. 

Jane knew she couldn’t go on like this forever. She had to leave. And she had to leave soon. Before it was too late. 

Before she was ruined beyond repair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading folks, I do love comments if you're willing to give them... I'll try not to take so long with Chapter 4!


	4. El

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is an advocate for the Party and Mike and El go out on a date!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to get reeeaaally cute. I do not have the words.

Jane sat at the bus stop, waiting for her ride to Seattle. It was the final leg of her journey. She’d arrived in Portland the day before, having took a roundabout course through southwestern America. 34 hours. That’s how far away (by car) she was from Thomas. At least, she thought she was. According to the woman who had helped her escape, Annie, Thomas was still in Indiana. 

Jane had spent very little time in the states neighboring Indiana. She’d wanted more distance before she could relax. But the further away she got, the longer she’d spend in a new place. A day here, a day there. She’d stayed two whole days in Sacramento. 

Her appearance, although very similar to before, did have some subtle changes. It was just enough to make herself harder to recognize. She’d chopped her hair off to her chin in Salt Lake City, dyed it a shade lighter in Reno. Her usually curly hair was now straight, thanks to the straighter she’d bought somewhere in Wyoming. Her body was relatively the same, but she’d got rid of her old clothes and bought new ones. 

It had been nine days since she escaped. 

And though she still had to find somewhere to live, and someplace to work, she felt calmer, safer than before. She’d succeeded in the hardest part of her plan. Thomas would have a much harder time following her trail to Seattle, and an even harder time learning her new name. 

Jane wasn’t Jane anymore. And she was thankful for that. 

........

Two Years Later

Will Byers was a patient man. Calm. Unbiased. Peaceful. He’d stopped more fights between his friends than he could count, and he’d never once been one to instigate a fight. 

Still, that doesn’t mean he isn’t totally and utterly pissed at his best friend right now. 

His best friend, who had claimed his loyalty to the Party since they were five years old, had pissed him off. And for once, starting a fight didn’t sound so unreasonable. In fact, it sounded damn appropriate given the fact that friends don’t ignore each other for days on end. 

Mike was an asshat. And Will Byers was pissed off. 

Dustin and Lucas were also pissed off, but Will was the designated friend to talk to Mike for two reasons. 

One, Will was calm, level-headed and always knew what to say. 

Two, if Mike saw how pissed Will actually was, he might realize how badly he’d screwed up. 

And that is how Will ended up heading over to Mike’s apartment on Sunday afternoon. Two whole days after the offense. 

Knocking on the door, Will waited for the moment when Mike would open the door and realize what he’d done and start apologizing profusely. Except that’s not what happened. 

Mike took annoyingly long to answer the door, and when he did, he wasn’t even looking up. His eyes were trained on his phone and he was grinning like an idiot as he answered some text. 

“Hey!” Will said to get his attention. 

Mike’s eyes left his phone screen for approximately two seconds. “Oh, hey Will.”

He left the door open and walked back into the living room. 

“Mike,” Will said. 

“What’s up?” Mike asked without looking up. 

“‘What’s up?’ Really Mike?” 

“What? What’s wrong?” Mike finally put down the phone, hearing Will’s anger. 

“Do you not realize that we had plans for Friday, and you bailed? Without warning. After promising you’d be there…” Will said. 

“Oh, shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to forget. I had totally planned on coming, but then there was this thing with El, and I got sidetracked and-“ 

“I don’t give a shit if you got sidetracked, Mike. We’re your friends. You are supposed to remember us. And what you are doing right now is wrong. You’re splitting up the Party,” Will told him.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Will. It’s not like me forgetting about one movie night is going to ruin the party,” Mike argued. 

“Except its not just one movie night. For the last two weeks, all you seem to be concerned about is that girl. And you haven’t even gone out with her yet. It’s just a stupid girl, Mike. We are like family.”

“El’s not stupid. Okay, and I’m sorry about being an ass for the last two weeks, but El’s not going anywhere. We’re going out tomorrow night,” Mike told him.

“Oh, perfect.” Will rolled his eyes.

Mike sighed. “What can I do to make it up to you?” 

Will knew that the words sounded like they were meant for the entire Party. But he knew they were just for him. Mike and Will were best friends, had been best friends before the other two guys had come around. 

“The guys want to play video games tonight. Come. And answer your damn phone,” Will said. 

“Okay, done,” Mike agreed. 

……..

“Pleeaaase, Ellie, I need details. What’s going to happen on this date? Are you going to dinner? Movies? Are you just going to go back to his place and make out? I need to know,” Max complained. 

“I don’t even know, Max, so stop pestering me… but I doubt it’s the last one. Mike’s more of a gentleman than that…” El said. They were in her apartment, trying to find something decent for El to wear on the date. 

“Do you even have anything besides what you wear to work?” Max asked, looking through the sad amount of clothing in El’s closet. 

“No, I hadn’t exactly thought I’d need date-worthy clothing,” El replied. It was the kind of thing she could say to Max and no one else, because Max knew everything now, and she could read between the lines. 

“I’m really proud of you for doing this,” Max said after a minute of silence. 

El smiled sadly.

“No, listen. What you have been through sucks ass, and that’s putting it mildly. But you are so strong and I know that this is going to be a good thing for you. Even if this guy isn’t the one, it’s going to get you back out there, and someday, you’ll be able to live your life without thinking about the past.”

El knew her choice to let Max into her life had been a good one. Max was almost the opposite of El. She was sporty and blunt. But that’s what made her a perfect best friend. They taught each other so many things. Complimented each other well. 

They worked through El’s closet finding very little that would be appropriate date attire. But Max had come prepared, as she poured out the contents of a backpack she’d brought with her. 

“You are lucky to have me,” Max said, as she laid out the dresses she brought. Some of them were too flashy for El, she hated things that drew attention to her. Others were a little more promiscuous than she cared for, but she tried most of them on anyway. 

Finally, after what seemed like forever, she settled on a short sleeve black dress that stopped just above her knees. It complimented her figure almost as if it were her own dress and not borrowed. El made a mental note to buy some actually nice clothes for the future. If there were going to be more dates, she needed more options. 

“El, you look hot,” Max grinned when she saw her in it. “Mike’s going to lose his shit when he sees you in that. You could get lucky if you wanted to.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think I’m quite ready for that,” El told her. Sex was not anywhere on her agenda right now. Too many painful memories were connected to it, and she wasn’t ready to take on the task of rewriting her brain yet. 

“Fair enough,” Max replied. It was easier to tone Max down now that she knew about El’s past. She would’ve spent hours teasing her before. 

……..

Seven o’clock sharp on Monday night, Mike knocked on El’s door. He was dressed in a dress shirt but no tie, and El was glad she’d gone with a dress. 

“Wow,” he said. “You look incredible.”

“Thanks,” El blushed. “So what are we doing?”

“You’ll see,” Mike answered mysteriously, as he took her hand.

Mike walked El to his car, holding the door open for her like a gentleman. They drove through the streets of Seattle, the lights of the city shining brightly. 

El let herself breathe. She let herself feel at home here. Safe. Maybe she could do this. 

Losing herself in the passing cars and the fading sunlight, it took El a moment to realize where they were. 

“The space needle?” she asked. It certainly wasn’t a conventional first date destination. 

“Yeah, I figured, you know… no one who actually lives here does the tourist attractions and I wanted to do something special,” Mike explained.

El smiled as he got out of the car and walked around to her side to open her door and grabbed her hand. 

…….. 

The view was breathtaking. The sun had set, and now El was having dinner in the space needle, looking out at the city below, which was covered in tiny lights that were the windows, lampposts, and car headlights. All very boring and regular things, but from far away, it was spectacularly significant. Special. 

It was almost hard to look away, but she had to look at Mike. 

This was so so different from the way El had felt before. She knew in this very moment, there was no one like Mike. He was the most special. He wanted their first date to be special. El had thought they would just go out for dinner or a movie or something. That was what she expected. 

But then again, that’s what she’d always thought love was like. She’d never felt quite like this. She’d never felt such warmth. 

Wasn’t this the kind of date that people went on in movies and TV shows? Had she suddenly been thrown into an alternate dimension where the romance was this extravagant? 

“You’re thinking awfully loudly over there,” Mike said, breaking her out of her thoughts. 

“Sorry, it’s just… I’ve never been swept off my feet like this before,” she admitted. 

Mike smiled. “To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever been so much effort into a first date before.”

“What’s so different about me?” El pried. If she was going to start admitting things, it needed to be a two way street. 

“I’m not sure yet, but I can feel it,” he said softly. 

El smiled. “I do too.”

“Thank God,” Mike replied, relieved. 

El giggled, picking up her champagne and raising her glass in a toast. “To figuring it out. Together.”

Mike, lifting his own glass, answered, “Together.”

........

When the night came to end, all too quickly, Mike took El back to her apartment. Not wanting to push a perfect evening too far, he kissed her on the forehead instead of the lips. 

The strength of his feelings for El was a little alarming. This was their first date. He shouldn’t feel so strongly for her yet. But he did. 

Everything about her intoxicated him. Her laugh, her smile, her voice... And then there was her eyes. They were dark but warm. 

He would do just about anything to make it work with her. As perfect as the night had been, he knew that her past still held her back and it wouldn’t be easy to be with her all the time. 

But Mike knew it was worth it. 

And this was only the beginning. 

……..

Two Years Ago

God, Jane hated that she’d had to work at a bar of all places, but when you run away from your abusive husband and you’re trained for absolutely nothing because you didn’t go to college, you don’t have much room to be picky. But the pay was good enough, and she’d managed to find an apartment nearby. It was certainly different from the life she’d had before, but that was kind of the point. 

It was a bit strange, after all this time running away, to settle down and plan on staying somewhere indefinitely. And it was even stranger to know that she had no one here. It wasn’t exactly a lonely feeling. She’d felt that before she’d left Thomas anyway. It was new. And she was free to make a new life for herself here. That’s exactly what she was doing. 

The bar smelled foreign. She’d never gone to one before, even though she was old enough now, twenty three. Thomas was more of a dinner party drunk than a bar-drinker, though sometimes he would come home so wasted he couldn’t even tell Jane where he’d been. The owner of the bar had been eager to hire Jane. He had thought Jane’s pretty face would bring in a little extra cash. 

Jane tried to not be offended by that.

“You’re late again, Mayfield,” the owner said as a redhead came strolling through the backdoor, buttoning the top button of her work outfit. The same outfit Jane was now wearing. 

“Yeah, I know. Sorry. Car wouldn’t start,” the redhead replied. She didn’t seem to actually care, but neither had the owner. Jane figured this was going to be an easy job to keep.

“Whatever, I just need you to train the new bartender,” he told her.

The redhead looked over at her then, noticing her for the first time. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Jane repeated. 

“So you’re the new girl?” she asked. 

“Yeah, guess so,” Jane answered. It was weird having someone actually talk to her instead of Thomas. 

“So, I’ll show ya how we run things and then we’ll get to work.” The redhead gave her a smile, and Jane nodded. “I’m Max, by the way.”

Jane shook Max’s hand, and told her her new name, “I’m El.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading y'all! 
> 
> So far, we're pretty on track for the expected 16 chapters, BUT you never know. This is like the first time I've kept a chapter count prediction for this long so idk. In my brain, this story has two parts to it. The first being a love story, and the second being a resolution to problems that will arise about halfway through this fic. So, that means we are at or very near to the halfway mark of the love story. I'm very eager to get through a few more chapters of this, (Chapter 8 is going to be HUGE in terms of importance)! 
> 
> Anyways, hopefully the next chapter will be out soon!


	5. Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and El's relationship grows, and El meets Mike's friends. But just as good things happen, other things start to get in there way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! I'm super excited for the next few chapters. They are going to be very important in the long run!! Please enjoy this update, and forgive me for taking a long ass time to write. ;)

In a world of love and happiness was never where El expected herself to end up, but this was undeniably much better than the life she’d planned for herself. After Thomas, she never expected to even consider falling in love again… but that’s exactly what was happening. 

It had been two weeks since Mike had taken her to the Space Needle for their first date. They’d had five dates so far. Each one just as special and exciting as the last. Mike was a perfect gentleman, so much so that El had to initiate their first kiss. 

It had been their second date, and El knew that he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. But the truth was that El wasn’t uncomfortable, at all. In fact, being near Mike made her feel safer. She found herself wanting to be near him all the time, and the thought of kissing him was so overwhelming that she just went for it. 

Mike was a foot taller than her, so she had to grab his neck and pull his face down to meet hers as she stretched on her toes to reach him. It was the best first kiss El could remember ever having. Much better than her first ever kiss with a random boy from school when she was twelve, and ten times better than her first kiss with Thomas, where he’d been half-drunk and didn’t even call her the next day. 

It had been so hard for El to imagine herself falling in love with someone after what Thomas had done to her. She never expected to feel this way in a million years, but now she was imagining a life with Mike. One where she would be appreciated, loved, and respected. It was so easy for her now to consider the possibilities. Marriage, living together, maybe even a couple babies. 

Two months ago, she wouldn’t have even considered it all. Mike made her different. 

She hadn’t told Mike any of this, of course. It was too soon to start talking about such serious stuff, but sometimes when she looks into his eyes, she thinks she sees something in there that agrees with her thoughts. 

Max, her even-more-than-usual nosy best friend, had interrogated her after every single date. She was the only person El could talk to about this stuff, so she had obliged. 

So, it had been two weeks. Two incredibly perfect weeks. And wasn’t sure when or how the other shoe would drop, because she knew it had to happen. But she still had hope. They could get through it. 

El was working at the bar, where the crowd was starting to file in more than usual for a Tuesday night. She was busy all evening, and a little sad because her usually quiet Tuesday shift was now a shit show. Then, she suddenly felt someone watching her, and she began to smile, already realizing who would be at the bar when she turned around. 

And there he was, Mike, sitting at his usual seat, smiling when she saw him.

“Hey stranger,” she said, making her way over to him. She leaned over the counter for a quick kiss.

“Hey, thought I’d stop by to make plans for later this week,” he replied. 

“Oh, what are we doing?” El asked.

“Well, actually, my friends want to meet you, so… we would hang out with them…” Mike told her a little hesitantly. He was nervous. 

“Sure, I mean, you’ve met Max plenty of times, so I should meet your friends,” El agreed. 

“It’s just that they can be kind of… I don’t know, a lot to handle? I don’t want them to scare you away,” Mike explained. 

“It’ll be okay, Mike. I’m sure I can handle them. So, when are we hanging out with them?” 

“You still get this Friday off, right?” he asked. 

El nodded. 

“So, we’ll hang out Friday at my apartment, and we’ll order a pizza.”

“Great, I’m excited,” El told him.

“Well, I don’t know if you should be. My friends are going to probably get on your nerves,” Mike said. 

“I’ll get through it,” El replied, leaning over the counter to kiss him again. 

“Hey! No making out at the bar, sickos!” Max shouted from a few feet away. 

El pulled back, giggling a little. “See you soon?”

“Yeah,” Mike smiled back at her. “Bye, El.”

……..

Mike was a nervous wreck all day Friday. While he would trust his friends with his life, he wasn’t sure he could trust them with his girlfriend. (He hadn’t actually asked her to be his girlfriend, but the word just sounded so right in his head, he was sure that’s what they were.) To calm his nerves, he decided to hold a Party meeting before El came over. Hopefully, he could set some ground rules with his friends and save himself and El from any excessive embarrassment. 

They arrived in a better mood than the last few times he’d seen them, as they assembled in Mike’s living room. 

“Okay,” Mike began. “I wanted to set some ground rules before you guys meet El. There are some things you need to understand… This relationship is very important to me, so I need you all to be on your best behavior. Will and Lucas, that shouldn’t be a problem, but Dustin… I need your word.”

Dustin rolled his eyes, but answered holding up three fingers, “Scout’s honor.”

“Good… Listen, El has had a… traumatic past. I don’t even know to what extent it is, but I need you guys to not pry her for personal details as much as possible. And do not tell her that I coached you beforehand. She doesn’t need to know… I just want her to feel comfortable,” Mike told them. 

“Jesus, Mike,” Lucas said. “You act like we don’t know how to be decent human beings.”

“I think he’s just worried because he really cares about this girl,” Will replied. 

“Yes, thank you, Will,” Mike approved. 

“Wait a minute,” Dustin interrupted. “Are you falling in love with this girl?”

Mike began to sweat a little as his three friends’ faces all turned back to him. 

“I mean, I.. I really care, you know… um.. about her,” Mike stammered. 

“Jesus, he’s in love,” Dustin said. 

Mike didn’t have it in him to object, so he just continued with his ground rules. “So, anyways, please do not try to embarrass me tonight, okay? It took me so long to get this girl to even agree to go out with me, I don’t need you three to turn that around in one evening.”

By the time Mike had finished, it was almost time for El to come over. Mike hoped this would all go over well. 

……..

Meeting the friends was almost as nerve-racking for El as meeting the parents. Mike’s friends were a constant in his life, and if they didn’t get along, what would happen with their relationship? Could they even still be together? 

El’s anxiety was rising, and she wanted to invite Max to come along, but she thought that might be rude to invite someone to her boyfriend’s house with her. Besides, she had to meet Mike’s friends eventually right? They couldn’t be that bad. If they weren’t good people, Mike wouldn’t have been friends with them all since they were kids. 

Dressed in a casual outfit, and her converse sneakers, she left for Mike’s apartment. It wasn’t far from her own, and she’d been over once before. His apartment was much nicer than hers, though he likely made twice as much money in half the time as she did. But El had never dwelt on unimportant matters like the amount of money someone has. Thomas had taught her that having money doesn’t make you a better person, and a lot of the time, it made you greedy and selfish. 

Mike wasn’t like that though, he wasn’t anything like Thomas. This was something El reminded herself every time she started feeling anxious. Mike wasn’t Thomas. He was so so much better. Thomas was a piece of shit. 

El hated that Thomas still held some little bit of power over her, even after two years of freedom, she was still technically married to him, not that he actually knew where she was. She hadn’t had time to file for divorce, and if she did now, he would find her. Although that was the issue, him finding her. She would live the rest of her life being married to Thomas as long as he didn’t find her. That was the plan, anyways. 

But what if Mike eventually proposed to El? What would they do? She couldn’t actually get married again, if she was still married to Thomas. Would Mike be okay with a “mock” wedding, one in which they went through a whole wedding that technically wasn’t real? One where they said their “I do’s”, but didn’t actually get married?

As she rode the elevator up to Mike’s floor, she decided that she’d cross that bridge when she came to it. 

The sound of loud voices came through Mike’s door, and she knocked. Mike must have been waiting by the door because it opened almost immediately, and she was greeted with a kiss. 

“Hey, guys,” Mike got his friends’ attention, as he held El’s hand. “This is El. El, this is Will, Dustin, and Lucas.”

“It’s nice to meet you all,” El said. 

“Nice to meet you too,” Lucas replied, shaking her hand. 

“Ditto,” Dustin did the same. 

Will smiled at her, and said, “We’ve met a few times.” They had. If Mike was bringing anyone with him to the bar, it was usually Will. 

All of them were a little familiar, actually. They’d all been to the bar at some point, most likely before she and Mike had exchanged numbers. 

Luckily, El felt very comfortable with all of them after a while. They were all welcoming, and while they asked her some questions, they never got too personal. Hanging out with Mike’s friends made El feel good about this whole “letting herself be free” thing. They treated her like she was an equal, like she was wanted. And they were funny. They were hilarious. Dustin’s long-drawn-out tales, Lucas’ jokes, and Will’s witty side remarks. 

The best part, though, was seeing Mike’s face as she interacted with them. It clearly made him happy to see them all get along so well. 

The night was a blur of fun conversation, pizza, and a few drinks on Mike’s friends’ parts. Mike and El didn’t drink much at all, sharing a single beer between the two of them, while the others were certainly a little more than tipsy. 

It was almost midnight when the boys all left Mike’s apartment, having called an Uber to take them home, and leaving Mike and El utterly and wonderfully alone. 

As far as the physicality of the relationship went, Mike and El had only ever kissed, and even those kisses were respectable. They hadn’t made out or anything yet, but El knew it was probably better if they took things slow in that department. Then again, she was twenty-five years old. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to have sex. 

Being alone in Mike’s apartment very late at night seemed to have an electric effect on them, though. They began kissing, like they normally did. Then, they were kissing with even more passion and longing. Without really being aware of it, they had somehow ended up on top of one another on the couch as they made out. 

At first, El didn’t think. She just lived in the moment, kissing Mike was pure bliss. She was just about to cross that line, the line of being okay with having a physical relationship again. 

And then, the other shoe dropped. 

……..

Six months ago…

“Don’t worry about it, darling, I’ll find her and take care of it soon,” Thomas spoke to a woman, Rachel. 

“It’s so inconsiderate,” Rachel said. “If she wanted to be rid of you, why didn’t she just file for divorce? Why did she have be so dramatic?”

“I don’t know, but I assure you, we will find her very soon. Then, we will be able to get married and live without fear of her retaliation. She’ll have no hold on me anymore,” Thomas replied. 

“Why did you even marry her in the first place?” Rachel asked. 

“She manipulated me, of course. Had I known that her mental stability was off, I would never had engaged in a relationship with her. She was very convincing.”

“Well, you know I would never manipulate you,” Rachel remarked. 

“I do know that. I’ve loved you more than I ever loved her,” Thomas responded. 

“How long do you think it will take?” 

“I’ve already traced her to Seattle,” Thomas said. “It’s only a matter of searching within the city now. She’s changed her name, but I’m sure I will find her soon. A few months, no more than six.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And for anyone whose still waiting, yes, I am writing for my other two Mileven fics and updates for both of those will be coming very soon, as in the next three to four days. 
> 
> This was ~kinda~ a filler chapter. I tried to make it interesting and meaningful to the story. I couldn't just jump from the last chapter to what is going to happen next, so I tried to add some depth to the story. 
> 
> Send me comments!! They motivate me to keep working on this at a faster pace!!


	6. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El has a panic attack and comes to a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks! This chapter is sponsored by Pain and Anguish. 
> 
> We're doing some angst today y'all, but don't fret.. this story is not even close to it's end.

It was all so so good, until it wasn’t. El was having a great time kissing the person she was falling in love with. His hands were all over her, on her cheek, in her hair, down her back, and grazing her thigh. It was intoxicating and she never wanted to stop. 

That is, until she thought about the last pair of hands to touch her like this, but not in the soft, gentle way Mike’s were now. The last pair of hands to touch her were anything but gentle. 

And suddenly, Mike’s hands turned into Thomas’ hands and El couldn’t breathe. It was too much. This was too much. She stopped kissing him back. 

“El…” Mike pulled back to look at her. “Are you okay?”

El could feel herself slipping over the edge of panic, and she knew this would be a bad one. She’d had panic attacks before. They were more frequent in the first few months here in Seattle. She hadn’t had one in about six months, but she was having one now. 

Her body began to tremble with the shaky breaths she was taking, and tears started to fill her eyes. God, why did she have to be like this? Why couldn’t she have some normalcy in her life?

“El, your shaking,” Mike whispered. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have…” 

Shouldn’t have what? Made out with his girlfriend? El could hardly blame Mike for this. No, this was her fault. And Thomas’. 

She wasn’t ready to be in a relationship yet. 

“El, please… what can I do?” Mike asked. He was staring at her with such worry, it made it even harder for her to come to terms with her thoughts. Mike was a good guy. He didn’t deserve someone all screwed up like her. 

El still couldn’t speak, so they sat in silence as they waited out the panic. She could tell that Mike wanted to touch her, hold her or something, but he was holding back. She appreciated that. She didn’t want to be touched by anyone right now. 

Finally, a while later, El’s shaking and tears had stopped. 

“What happened to you?” Mike asked. El wanted to tell him, but she didn’t have the energy, and she didn’t think that being in a relationship right now would be good for her either. 

“I’m sorry…” she said. “But I can’t do this right now.” And she left. 

……..

Mike had imagined the night that El met his friends going in about a thousand different directions. None of those had included him making out with El and causing her to have a literal panic attack on his couch, then her leaving without a real explanation. Needless to say, the poor guy was very very confused. 

El’s past had gotten to her again, Mike was sure about that. He knew her pretty well by now, well enough to know that if he ever wanted to hear from her again, he needed to let her know that he wanted to be there for her. Something was obviously still causing her pain, and he didn’t care that she wanted to protect him from whatever it was. It was hurting her, so it was hurting him. 

But on the other hand, he didn’t think he should try to fix things just yet. El needed some space first. 

So, turning to the only sources of advice he had, Mike was forced to call his friends back over. 

It wasn’t uncommon for one of the four men to call an official Party meeting. They had been doing the same thing since they were just kids, and well, the Party was a lifelong commitment. The Party sticks together, and when a Party member requires assistance… 

“I need some advice,” he told them as they all sat around his living room. 

“What happened?” Will asked thoughtfully. 

“Well, after you guys all left, El and I were making out and.. well, it’s not important, but she had a panic attack and she left without an explanation. I don’t know why, but I think it has something to do with her past. She never wants to talk about it, even when I tell her that I’ll support her through it. I think she thinks I’ll leave her if she tells me.”

“Shit, dude. I’m sorry,” Dustin replied. “..Do you know anything about her past?”

“Not really. I know she moved here two years ago and before that I have no idea where she came from or why she left. Anytime she’s come close to revealing something, she clams up and changes the subject. She says she’s not ready to tell me, but I think she’s just afraid.”

“So, she didn’t say anything when she left?” Lucas asked. 

“All she said was, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now,’” Mike explained. 

“Well, whatever happened to her before she came to Seattle must’ve been traumatic. She has some sort of PTSD and something last night must’ve triggered it. It’s just a matter of figuring out what happened,” Will thought aloud. 

“Sacramentum,” Dustin said. 

“What?” Mike asked, as all of their heads turned to Dustin. 

“Sacramentum… you know, the Latin word,” Dustin answered as if this was common knowledge. 

“Doesn’t it mean ‘oath’ or ‘promise’ or something?” Lucas replied in confusion. How did this connect at all to El?

“Well, yeah, it does. But it also is Latin for ‘mystery’. El’s past is a mystery that needs solved. I’m sure that there are some clues that she’s told Mike. We could figure this out,” Dustin said. 

“No,” Mike argued. “I don’t think she would want me to find out by digging up her past without her permission. She would want to tell me herself… It might’ve been a mistake to involve you guys in this.”

“Mike’s right. If El doesn’t want Mike to know yet, then we shouldn’t try to solve this mystery,” Will pointedly looked at Dustin, who looked disappointed. 

“You should just talk to her, Mike. Try and get some answers,” Lucas told him. “We’ll leave to give you some time to think.” 

His three friends got up to leave without much objection, but he could’ve sworn he heard Dustin mumbling some more about “Sacramentum” and how this was a “true mystery that needed to be solved.”

Mike sat there in his silent apartment for a while, wondering what it was he had done to trigger her traumatic past and what he could do to get the full story. 

……..

El was hyperventilating again. It was probably the fifth time today. Her mind kept racing with all the possible outcomes of her current situation. She had several options, not one of them very appealing. Option one, she could just disappear again. Head off to another state and change her name again. It would fix the problem, and throw off Mike’s curiosity. But she didn’t really want to leave. She didn’t want to think about not seeing Mike again. She didn’t want to do that to him. 

Option two, she could simply tell him that she had an anxiety disorder that flared up at random and she just needed some air. They could go back to normal, and El could avoid further questioning, but that wouldn’t be the entire truth and El hated lying. And she especially didn’t want to start lying to Mike. 

Option three, she could break up with him entirely and just live her life. But that option would hurt Mike and she wouldn’t get to see him anymore in that situation either. 

Option four, she could tell him everything. But what if he ran screaming the other way when he knew about the baggage she carried with her each day? Would he want to be with someone who was so damaged? And if she told him, someone else would know her true identity. It would break the promise she made to herself when she’d moved here. She was never supposed to get close to anyone… except she’d already broken that rule with Max. 

None of these options made her satisfied, and that fact had sent her into a downward spiral of feelings and panic. She just simply couldn’t make this decision for herself. 

With shaky fingers, she found Max’s contact on her phone and pressed the call button.

“Hey Ellie! How’d meeting the friends go?” Max answered after a couple rings. 

“Max, can you please come over here right now?” El asked, ignoring her question entirely. 

“What’s wrong?” Max went into immediate protective best friend mode as she heard her friend’s fragile voice. 

“Don’t wanna talk about it on the phone.. Can you just please come over?” 

“I’ll be there in ten,” Max replied and hung up. 

Max arrived exactly seven minutes later. 

El let her in and sat on the couch, gesturing for Max to do the same. 

“You look like shit, El. What happened? What’s going on?” Max asked. 

“I made a mistake getting involved with Mike,” El said. 

“What did that piece of shit do? I’ll kill him,” Max went into defensive mode. 

“No, no… he didn’t do anything…. We were kissing last night after his friends had left, and… it got a little out of hand and I sort of… freaked. I had a panic attack..,” El explained.

“Oh El,” Max held her hand.

“I just kept crying and he kept asking if I was okay and what was wrong and I couldn’t tell him,” El said as her voice became thick. 

“I’m sorry, El.. What did you do then?”

“I ran out. I couldn’t face him, and I couldn’t tell him… Now I don’t know what to do, Max,” El sobbed, resting her head on Max’s shoulder as she began to cry.

“El, it’s going to be okay,” Max said, hugging El to her. “Do you want to know what I think?”

El lifted her head and nodded. 

“I think that if Mike is the great guy you have described, then he would be able to handle your story. And if he’s not, then it’s his loss… You need to decide if he’s worth telling your past to or if he’s worth losing. If you decide you don’t want to live without him, then he needs to know what happened to you.”

It was scary to think about. El had only told Max every little thing that had happened. She was the only person on the whole planet who knew those things about her. Even her parents, who she hadn’t seen or heard from since she’d abandoned them, hadn’t known, though they might have had suspicions. 

But deep down, El knew that Max was right. She had to decide if Mike was important enough to her to keep him around, and if he was, she had to tell him. She couldn’t keep him in the dark anymore. 

The answer to the question was clear. He was important enough. El wanted Mike. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anybody in her whole life. She was going to have to tell him. All of it. 

After El had pulled herself together, she thanked Max for her advice and let Max leave. She hadn’t been gone more than twenty minutes before there was a knock on her apartment door. 

El knew who it was before even looking through the peephole. He couldn’t stay away for long. 

“Hey,” he said softly when she opened the door. “Can we talk?”

El nodded, letting him in. 

“El, last night you really scared me.. I want to know why you had a panic attack. I can’t just sit there and see you hurting and not be able to comfort you.”

“I know,” El replied. 

“Will you please tell me what happened to you?” Mike asked. 

“Okay,” El answered. 

……..

Two weeks ago

“Good news, darling,” Thomas said, coming into the living room quickly. 

“What is it?” Rachel looked up from her magazine eagerly. 

“I’ve got her address. Now we know exactly where she is at all times of the day. We’ll easily be able to track her, and we’ll soon be able to make our move. And get this.. she has a boyfriend now, and we found his address too,” Thomas bragged. 

Rachel chuckled. “So the little whore left you for another man.”

“Probably manipulating him the same way she did to me. I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard,” Thomas replied. 

“What a slut,” Rachel dismissed. 

Manipulation. Deceit. Lies. Harboring. Control. Power. 

All things Thomas claimed his once precious Jane possessed. 

All lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!! Send me some comments and let me know what you guys are thinking! The next chapter is going to be the most important chapter of this whole thing, and I am very excited to write it, so you can expect a quicker update than usual.


	7. Thomas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El tells Mike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys.. this one is SO different from what I'm used to writing, and it's very different from the other chapters too. It was painful and emotional to write, so I can imagine it's not exactly easy to read. I'm going to warn you all that we get deep into El's past with Thomas in this one, but I promise you, I didn't make anything over-the-top in terms of the abuse. Sexual assault, although mentioned, will not be written in detail at any point in this fic!

“Try to look at the painful moments in life as giving you strength rather than taking it from you. Embrace the pain and then release it. Learn from it and then move on from it. Don’t continue to dwell on it or carry it around with you or you will never fully heal from it. Pain is a part of life and the challenge is to break through it.”

……..

Jim Hopper had been the chief of police for long enough to know that there was foul play around his daughter’s sudden voluntary disappearance. He’d known that something was up every time he saw her husband, who looked unfazed by her absence. He held on to the letter in his desk drawer, the one that told him not to worry and to not do anything rash. 

He wished it was easier. He trusted his daughter, and knew that if she said she was safe, she was. But still, he couldn’t stop himself from making assumptions about where she had gone. And why she’d left her entire life behind. 

He’d thought that she would come back at some point, but it’s been two years and he hasn’t heard a single word. He hadn’t even received a letter. But maybe that was the whole idea. 

Jane didn’t want to exist in Indiana anymore. 

Wherever she was, he hoped she was happy. He could picture her laughing and smiling, living her dreams out in some far away place. 

………

El led Mike into her apartment, sitting down at the couch. Mike sat next her, looking at her with fearful and curious eyes. She could tell that he really wanted to know what happened before she came to Seattle. It would be wrong of her to keep it a secret from this point on. Still, that didn’t make it any less terrifying to tell him. 

“I.. don’t know what to say… I feel very vulnerable,” she admitted. 

“That’s okay,” Mike said. “You can take your time.”

After a few more moments of El not knowing how to start, Mike began talking again. 

“Did I ever tell you about how my parents almost got a divorce?” Mike asked. El shook her head. “Well, I was sixteen, and one day after hanging out with my friends, I came home and saw my mother cheating on my father. It was with this really young guy, almost the same age as me. I ran back out of the house and made an excuse to stay the night over at Will’s. The next few days were awful because my mom didn’t seem to have the decency to talk to me about it. I didn’t know what to do, whether I should tell my dad or not. Eventually though, she came to my room one night before bed and told me she was sorry I had to see that. She told me that it was a mistake and she’d broke it off. She was even planning on telling dad herself. They had a huge fight when she did. I thought they were going to split up. Eventually, things got better, but I’ll never forget those few months where things were really bad. I spent a lot of time away from the house…. I know it’s kind of a stupid story to tell, but I guess I wanted to tell you because I don’t want you to feel like I know more about you than you know about me. And that story is one of my worst… I don’t want you to be scared to tell me.”

El smiled. Mike was trying to make her feel better. And while his story in no way compared to hers, it had worked. She did feel a little better. 

Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she built up the courage to tell her story. Mike waited patiently for her to talk. He didn’t even question her hesitation. 

“You have to understand that, for me, our relationship is a lot harder to handle. I want to be with you, and I want to relax and have fun, but I have emotional scars that I simply cannot forget about…. I need you to promise me that you’ll still be here by the end of this. Otherwise, I don’t think I can do it,” El told him.

“I promise. You can tell me anything,” Mike replied, looking at her with such calm eyes. It was nice, it kept her a little more sane.

El nodded and took a deep breath. 

“Max is the only person I’ve ever told this to. You’ll be the second…. I was born in Indiana. I’m an only child and as far as I know, my parents are still together. My name.. was Jane Hopper. I grew up in a small town and stayed there up until two years ago…. When I was eighteen, I met an older boy by the name of Thomas Brenner. He was very very sweet to me, and he always brought me little gifts, like a bouquet of flowers or a bag of candy. I fell in love with him in only a few months, or at least, I thought I did… After we were together for only six months, he proposed… I said yes. I was so sure that he was the one for me. He treated me like a queen and we spent another six months planning the wedding. It wasn’t until the night before the wedding, when I got my first glimpse of Thomas’ true personality. We were having dinner, just like any other night. But I made a mistake. I don’t even remember what I did, but… he hit me. It left a little bruise. He apologized a little while later, and I stupidly believed him and forgave him. I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. And I thought that he was just nervous about the wedding, so I didn’t think anything of it really until much much later,” El paused.

Mike looked paler than he’d been before. It was clear that wherever Mike’s mind had been wandering when he tried to figure out what happened to her, this was not even close to what he’d imagined. 

“We got married and I officially changed my name to Jane Brenner. And for a few more months, Thomas was the kind, sweet person I’d met the year before. But gradually, I started to see some differences in his behavior and his treatment towards me. He had a career in business that he valued more than anything, even me, though I wouldn’t realize it for a while. Time that he once put aside for spending time with me was now dedicated to paperwork. I tried a few times to get him to take a break and watch a movie with me or something, but he always refused, saying that we needed the money… We didn’t. We were well off. He worked seven days a week, each day for at least twelve hours, though looking back, I’m sure that some of that time was spent cheating on me. It wouldn’t surprise me. Our relationship started deteriorating rapidly after about a year and a half of being married. He was possessive of me. I tried to get a job so I wouldn’t have to sit around our house all day with nothing to do, but Thomas told me not to. Even if I found a hobby that he didn’t approve of, I was forced to give it up. He didn’t want me. He wanted a 1930s housewife who did the laundry, dishes, cleaned the house, and cooked the meals.”

El could see the pain in Mike’s eyes. She could see how badly he wanted to reach out and touch her, let her know how much he hated that she’d had to go through that. But El wasn’t finished. 

“Sometimes he would throw dinner parties for his coworkers and clients. He would dress me up like his little doll in a promiscuous outfit, and if I complained even a little bit, he would beat me. He abused me in more ways than I can count. Physically, sexually, mentally, emotionally…. I knew I couldn’t stay with him forever, but I was afraid to leave because I knew he would try to stop me. I was so afraid that if I told him I wanted a divorce, he would kill me. I knew he was capable of that…. We’d been together for five years, married for four, when I found out I was pregnant,” El wiped her face as a tear fell down her cheek. 

Mike had tears in his own eyes, and his face was practically distraught. 

“As much as I wanted a baby, I realized that I could never raise a child with him. If he could hit me, he could hit our child. Or worse…. The moment that I saw that the pregnancy test was positive, I decided. I decided I had to leave. It wasn’t the life I’d wanted for myself or my child. I couldn’t keep going on pretending… While Thomas was at work, I wrote a letter to my parents telling them that I was going to be okay, but I had to leave for a while. I told them not to worry about me and to not try to find me. Then, I packed a duffle bag full of some clothes, money, and some other things I thought I would need to escape and hid it in a closet by our front door. The next day, I went to the closest clinic and… I…” El’s tears were coming much faster now, as she struggled to get the words out. 

“I got an abortion. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, and I’ll never forgive myself for it. But what other choice did I have? I was planning to leave Thomas, and I knew I couldn’t support a baby on my own… After it was over, I went home, and Thomas was already there waiting for me. He was holding the pregnancy test I took the day before. He asked why I hadn’t told him, and I tried to lie and say I was trying to make it a surprise. Then he asked me where I had been. I lied again and told him that I went to a doctor appointment to make sure the baby was okay. He didn’t believe me. I was never a very good liar and he was unusually perceptive. He screamed at me, telling me that I was a slut and that I had been cheating on him, which was obviously not the truth. Thomas started beating me again and I couldn’t take it, so I threw a vase at his head. It stalled him long enough for me to grab my duffle bag and I just started running. I went through the woods in the rain in my bare feet, while he was shouting from somewhere behind me and chasing me. I kept running for hours, until I had finally stopped hearing him following. Even then, I kept moving forward until I reached a farm, where I got some help getting out of the county.

“A nice woman drove me out of town and over to the next county, where I was able to start planning what I was going to do. It took me a little more than a week to get to Seattle. I tried to take a long way, heading down south before coming back up through California. I got some new clothes, cut my hair, dyed it, and straightened it. I tried wearing blue contacts, but my eyes got too swollen when I put them in… I had my name legally changed to El Ives before I left Indiana. When I got to Seattle, I found an apartment and paid for the deposit. I had plenty of money packed to last me a while, but I knew I would need a job… I didn’t want to be a bartender, but there aren’t many options for someone who didn’t go to college. I haven’t heard from Thomas in the two years I’ve been here. And I haven’t heard from my friend who helped me escape in about six months. She watched over Thomas to make sure he wasn’t following me. 

“Even after all this time, I’m still scared that he’ll find me. And if he finds me, then he’ll kill me…. That’s why I’m so afraid to get involved with you. He’s caused me so much pain, and I don’t want him to ever hurt you. It would be all my fault if he hurt you…. I’m sorry for being so secretive with all of this, but it’s so hard to talk about and the more people that know, the easier it would be for him to find me. I probably should have told you all of this a long time ago,” El wiped the tears off her cheeks. 

“No, I understand,” Mike finally said. He’d been silent through her whole story, but she could see the pain in his face. “It must’ve been so traumatic for you to go through all that. I’m so, so sorry, El.”

“Are you sure you’re okay with all of this?” El asked. “I know it’s a lot of baggage, and I would understand if it’s too much for you to handle.”

“Hey,” Mike grabbed El’s hands. “I’m in this. We are in this. I know your afraid, but I’m not going to run away from you. I want to be with you, El. I’m going to do everything I can to protect you.”

“You really mean it?” El sounded small, like a child.

“Of course, I do.”

El smiled at Mike, so glad that he was exactly the kind of person she’d thought he was. He was good. He was one of the good ones. Her protector. Her knight in shining armor. She couldn’t stop herself, and hugged him. 

“So… you’re technically still married,” Mike said after a while. 

“Unfortunately,” El nodded. 

“That’s too bad,” Mike replied.

“Why? You planning on asking?” El teased, in much better spirits now that she had finished telling the worse story of her life. 

“Maybe someday,” Mike answered in total seriousness. It made El’s heart warm. 

After a while, Mike offered to go home. But El, not wanting to be rid of him, offered for him to sleep on her couch. And of course, Mike couldn’t say no to that. 

El had never imagined that telling Mike everything would go so well, but ultimately, she was just glad that he understood. Mike was in her life now, and she didn’t need to worry about keeping her secret from him anymore. 

……..

Six months ago

Thomas’ hand smacked the woman’s face with such force that it became immediately red. 

“I said, tell me what you know,” he whispered into her face. 

“Please.. don’t. My son is in the next room..” Thomas’ hand smacked her again, stopping her from speaking.

“I don’t give a fuck.. You want to get back to him, tell me what you know.”

“Nothing! I swear!” The woman cried. 

“Don’t lie to me,” Thomas spoke sadistically. “I know you were the one that drove her out of town. I know you are the one that has been informing her of my actions and whereabouts. Tell me. What. You. know.”

“Please… sto-“

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I know this one probably wasn't super fun to read, but I'm sure it helps you to better understand El's feelings and fears. It's major in terms of developing Mike and El's relationship and moving on to the next portion of the story. 
> 
> Please do not be alarmed when I don't update for a few weeks! I am going to finish this, but I'm about to leave for a two week vacation, so I'll be taking a short hiatus from all of my fics. I promise you I'll be back before you know it! I'm also planning on posting one more chapter for "in every (alternate) dimension" before I leave!


	8. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El starts to feel safe for the first time since being with Thomas, but there are things looming in the horizon that threaten that safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M BACK! Hey guys, um, it's been a while... like 5 months? Oof. I did not mean to take that long of a break from this, but I'm honestly super excited to get back into writing this! I will definitely be doing a lot more writing (for this as well as my other fics) in the next couple of months, and I don't foresee any 5 month-long breaks in the near future, so hopefully we can make it through this together! This chapter's a little bit shorter than I wanted it to be, but I thought since it's been so long, I should try to get it out to you guys sooner rather than later.

“I did it, Max,” El whispered into the phone. “I told him.”

“How did he take it?” Max asked. 

“Actually, really well… I was right to trust him, Max. I think… I really do think he’s one of the best guys out there. He was incredibly sweet and supportive,” El told her. 

“I’m glad you did it, El. Maybe now you might be able to move forward, you know, live your life without fear… Why are you whispering by the way?” Max replied. 

“He’s still here. It was really late, so I told him he could sleep on my couch,” El answered. She glanced at his sleeping form from the doorframe of her bedroom. 

“Oh, well do you feel safer now that he knows? Do you feel like you could see yourself moving forward in the relationship?” Max asked. 

“Max…. I think for the first time in my life… I feel like I’m doing something right by being with him. He is incredible and kind. He actually told me last night that he would do whatever it takes to protect me… I can honestly say that I can see myself falling in love with him, and not holding back anymore… It might take some time, but I finally feel a little bit more safe with him in my life.”

……..

Seattle, Present Day

Chuckling darkly, Thomas removed the headset from his ears. “Fucking bitch has no idea,” he mumbled. 

Thomas had finally succeeded. When Jane had first escaped his clutches two years ago, he thought she would come back to him after she ran out of money or decided she couldn’t make it without him. But after six months, he realized that he would have to track her down himself. She was his. She wasn’t allowed to start over. It was either be his wife, or be nothing at all. He didn’t care about her, she was his pawn. A pretty woman who he could manipulate and show off. 

After meeting Rachel, Thomas decided that finding Jane was a mission that had only one ending. Jane had chosen this outcome. 

It was months of investigating, months of planning, and finally, he was here in the very city she lived. He was here, listening in on her phone conversations, listening to her gush over her new boyfriend, some nerdy dweeb who had no power over Thomas. She thought she was safe. 

Safe. Ha. Thomas’ psychotic mind laughed at the thought of her feeling safe. She was never safe, not from him. She was his. A possession that must be destroyed. 

Rachel was a possession too, just like Jane. She would make a good wife, a better one than Jane, at least that’s what Thomas thought. She would obey him and marry him without reservations. 

In a way, Rachel was actually perfect for Thomas, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t resort to the same forms of punishment should she defy him in any way. 

It would only be a little while longer of monitoring Jane’s calls and her locations. Then, Thomas would be ready to put the plan into effect. 

........

Hawkins, IN   
Present Day

Jim Hopper was having a normal day at work, quiet as always. Hawkins rarely had any actual crime. The most notable instance was the sudden disappearance of his own daughter, though there was very little investigation done on her case because Hopper knew she had left on her own will thanks to her letter. 

He was used to the quietness of Hawkins. It was calm, a place he could enjoy his morning coffee and contemplation. And today was no different, that is, until he met Annie Knox. 

“Chief,” Flo had come to his office and was standing in the door frame. 

“Yeah?” he asked, not even looking up from his paperwork. 

“There’s a woman here to see you... She says it’s urgent,” Flo told him. 

“What’s it about?” he replied. Often, people showed up with complaints about neighbors or petty fueds, which was exactly what Hopper expected whenever someone came into the station. 

“She said it was a secret. She refuses to tell anyone anything... except for you,” Flo explained. 

That was a first. Hopper finally met Flo’s eyes, “Alright then, send her in.” 

Flo left and returned with the woman. She was in her early thirties by her looks, her face familiar to Hopper, but he didn’t know her by name. Flo left them alone, closing the door to the chief’s office. 

“Hi, I’m Annie,” the woman said. “This might be a bit confusing for you, but... I know your daughter, Jane.”

“Oh,” Hopper wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t miss the way she said “know” instead of “knew”. 

“When Jane left, I was the person who helped her escape,” Annie went on. “She ran from her own house to mine. She was barefoot and dirty. I let her get cleaned up and made sure she had food. Then, I drove her out of the county and made sure she had a way to get further away.... We’ve been in contact with each other periodically throughout the last two years.”

“Is she okay?” Hopper asked quickly. 

“Yes, at least she was when we last spoke.... but that’s the thing. I haven’t been able to contact her for six months.... Thomas, he... he found out I was informing her on his whereabouts and he forced information out of me. I didn’t want to tell him anything but—“ Annie began to cry. 

“Hey, no. It’s not your fault. Thomas is a sadistic bastard. Don’t blame yourself, you did an amazing thing for my girl,” Hopper said. 

“I feel awful.... and I would’ve came here sooner, but I wanted to be sure it was safe to talk to you. I think he’s going after her. He knows where she is, and I’m afraid he is going to kill her.” Annie wiped at her tears. 

“Where is she?” Hopper asked. 

“Seattle. She’s living under the name El Ives.”

........

“Do you want some coffee?” El asked as Mike walked into her kitchen. 

“Do you even have to ask?” Mike joked as El handed him a mug. 

“So, what are you doing today?” El asked. 

“Well, it’s the weekend, so I’m pretty much free to do whatever I want. What about you?” Mike replied. 

“Unfortunately, I will have to work tonight,” El answered, taking a sip of her own mug. 

“Hm, well, what about before work?” 

“I could maybe do something before,” El smiled. She felt genuinely happy for the first time in a long time. It felt amazing to know that Mike knew about her past and still wanted to be with her. 

“How about we go out for lunch?” Mike suggested. 

“Another one of your incredibly romantic dates? .... I’m in,” El giggled. 

An hour later, they left El’s apartment hand-in-hand, headed to a nearby restaurant for lunch. 

“So,” El started. “What is your favorite childhood memory?” 

“Okay, I’ll tell you, as long as you tell me yours,” Mike smiled. He was happy to finally be able to talk freely with El about the past. 

“Deal,” El grinned. 

“Alright, so I was eleven years old. My friends and I go to the arcade on a Saturday, like we usually did. We play for a few hours and then when we run out of change, we start to head back to my neighborhood. I lived on the outskirts of Chicago, so we had a lot of freedom to go wherever we wanted and we would still be pretty safe,” Mike spoke animatedly. “But this one day, we found this one area of the park by my house that no one had been around, so we decided to explore. There were a lot of random things everywhere that people must’ve thrown out, but to us it was kinda like a treasure hunt. We spent hours going through all of it. By the end, we’d actually managed to find almost $20 in change and loose dollar bills.”

“Why is that your favorite?” El asked, genuinely curious. 

“I don’t know, I guess it just brings me back to being a kid and hanging out with my friends without a care in the world... it was just fun. Sometimes being an adult isn’t always as great as you imagine it would be. It’s nice to remember a time in my life when I felt completely happy....” Mike explained. “What about you?”

“I was eight. It was Christmas. And it was the year that I found out Santa Claus wasn’t real... I know, I know, that sounds super depressing, but stay with me for a minute... my parents never had much money when I was growing up, and that year was really bad. We were pretty much living off of food stamps, so I knew I wouldn’t be getting many presents. There was this mean girl at my school who was older than me and constantly bullied me. She told me that Santa wasn’t real, so I went home and asked my parents. My mom tried to act like the girl was crazy, but my dad told me later that night that she was telling the truth. He told me I should pretend to keep believing because it would make mom happy.... So, that’s what I did. I pretended that I was so excited to see what Santa had brought me that year and my mom never knew any different. On Christmas morning, I only had two presents, one from Santa and one from my parents. I don’t even remember what the presents were. I guess it didn’t matter so much to me as much as what happened after. My dad cooked a whole box of Eggos and stacked them on top of one another, then covered them in whipped cream and syrup and candy. We called it an Eggo extravaganza. It’s one of my favorite memories. I miss them...” El sighed, getting lost in her own memories. 

“I’m sure they miss you too,” Mike replied, squeezing her hand. 

“Maybe someday, I might be able to talk to them again. I just don’t know how or when that could happen,” El said. 

“We’ll make it happen... someday,” Mike answered. 

........

It was nerve wracking and scary trying to get to Seattle to find your daughter before her husband finds her, but Jim Hopper knew that he had to do it. He had booked a flight out as soon as Annie had left the station. And now, here he was, flying for the first time in his life and trying to beat Thomas to Jane. 

It seemed impossible that he would make it to her first, since Thomas has been tracking her for so long, but Hopper did have vital information that Thomas spent months searching for. 

Hopper had been upset when Jane married Thomas. He’d told her that he was concerned about Thomas’s character, but Jane was just as stubborn as he was. She didn’t see what he did, and she married him anyway. He noticed the way she closed off from everyone after the wedding, the way she rarely came to visit and did things that were uncharacteristic of her. He tried to help, tried to get her to leave him, but she always brushed him off. 

And then, she disappeared. And while Hopper was dying to find her, dying to see her again, he couldn’t comprehend how proud he was of her for leaving. Jane had left and had been so smart with her actions ever since. It wouldn’t have taken Thomas this long to find her if she hadn’t been smart. 

Her only true mistake was her new name. While changing her name had been a smart decision, she’d changed it to something predictable. Her middle name, El, followed by her mother’s maiden name, Ives. Had she changed her name to Mary Smith or Hannah Brown, Thomas might’ve spent years searching through Seattle for her. 

But Hopper knew his daughter, and he knew she’d want her name to still mean something. 

He didn’t have much patience left for this flight, as he waited and fought against the short amount of time before Thomas would try to hurt his little girl once again. 

........

“You don’t have to stay here, you know,” El told Mike as he sat at the end of the bar. “My shift is gonna be six very long hours.”

“I know, but I just want to look at you for a little while longer,” Mike replied, smiling charmingly at her. 

“Ew, you guys are starting to get sappy and gross,” Max remarked, having heard them talking. 

“Shut up, Max,” El rolled her eyes, before returning her attention to her boyfriend. “Seriously, go hang out with your friends and I’ll see you later, okay?” 

“Alright,” Mike said, giving in and leaning over the counter to kiss her goodbye. 

Neither one of them noticed the man watching them from the back of the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love reading your comments, so please feel free to yell at me for not uploading for 5 months and/or tell me what you thought of this chapter! This story is only roughly halfway finished, if that, so we still have quite a lot that's about to happen! Thanks for reading and see you in a few days! (I'm going to attempt to write a whole other chapter in just a couple days).


	9. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El receives some creepy texts, Thomas's plan begins unfolding, Hopper begins his search, and Mike and El take another big step in their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT I finished an entire chapter in 2 DAYS!!!! That's gotta be a new record for me. 
> 
> This is probably the most fluff/angst contrast in one of my fics ever. Get ready!!

“Oh, are you kidding me?” Dustin complained, handing over the Monopoly money after landing on Lucas’s property for the sixth time in a row. 

“Sorry dude, but it’s not my fault you suck at monopoly,” Lucas replied, grabbing the money. 

“You can’t suck at monopoly. It’s a game of chance. It all depends on the roll,” Dustin said. 

“Then, why is it that we have all won at least once and you never win?” Lucas questioned, smirking.

“Damn it, Lucas! It’s just a game of chance! The chances have not been in my favor!” Dustin yelled. 

“Okay, okay,” Will put his hands up. “Dustin, just admit you’re bankrupt and we’ll be done with this conversation.”

“Fine,” Dustin huffed, pushing his chair out. “I need a beer.”

“Lucas is right, you know,” Mike spoke up as Dustin walked over to Mike’s kitchen. “You suck at monopoly.”

“Oh, fuck you, Michael,” Dustin replied, making the other laugh as they put the board game away. 

“So, Mike.. how are things with El? Did you get that… situation figured out?” Will asked. 

“Oh, yeah. We had a long talk… She’s been through a lot, and it’s just hard for her to talk about. We’re okay now… Better than okay, actually,” Mike told them.

“What was wrong the other night? With the panic attack?” Lucas asked. 

“I… I can’t tell you guys. It’s very personal, and I wouldn’t feel right telling El’s story without her permission…. But it’s a good thing we talked about it all, you know? I feel like I understand her more now, and she doesn’t have to hide anything from me anymore,” Mike answered. 

“That’s great, Mike,” Will told him. 

“Yeah, man. I’m happy for you,” Dustin patted Mike on the back. “She’s really great and it seems like she makes you really happy.”

“Thanks guys,” Mike smiled. “Would you guys want to hang out with her again sometime? She mentioned that she really had fun with you all the other night.”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Will remarked. 

“What about tomorrow?” Lucas suggested. “We were gonna have a pizza night anyways.”

“I’ll text her to see if she’s in,” Mike said, pulling out his phone.

……..

El felt her phone buzz in her pocket, and since it was a pretty quiet night in the bar, she didn’t hesitate to check it, finding a text from Mike. 

Mike: pizza night at my place tomorrow with my friends? they wanna hang out with you again.  
El: sounds fun!  
El: can I bring Max? I feel kinda bad for leaving her out so much.  
Mike: sure! My friends don’t mind.

El smiled and put her phone back in her pocket. She was excited to spend some time with Mike and Max and hopefully some new friends. 

“Hey Maxie,” she said walking over to where she was cleaning the bar. 

“What’s up, El?” Max asked. 

“You are coming to pizza night at Mike’s house tomorrow. His friends will be there too,” El told her. 

“Will there be alcohol?” Max joked. “I’m kidding, I’ll be there no matter what.” 

“Thanks, I think you’ll really like his friends. They’re really funny and good people,” El said. 

“Any of them cute and single?” Max asked, wiggling her eyebrows. 

“As a matter of fact, I think they all are,” El answered. “I mean, they aren’t exactly my type, but they are all cute in their own way.”

Max was just about to reply when a man walked up and took her attention, asking for a drink. Max gave El the “we’ll talk later” look and started working again. El walked back over to the other side of the bar.

Her phone began buzzing again, and she took it back out of her pocket. 

Unknown: hey beautiful.

El didn’t know why that single text sent chills down her spine. It made her immediately on edge. 

El: um, who is this?  
Unknown: what fun would it be if I told you?  
El: I think you have the wrong number.  
Unknown: I know for a fact that I don’t.  
El: I really don’t think you do.  
Unknown: oh El, when will you learn?  
El: how do you know my name?  
Unknown: I told you I had the right number.  
El: I’m sorry but I don’t know who this is, and if you don’t tell me, I’m going to block you.  
Unknown: you’ll find out soon enough.

Suddenly feeling very vulnerable and watched, El looked up around the room. There wasn’t many people in the bar tonight, so she looked at each one of their faces. She watched as one man left, keeping his face hidden, as he walked out the front door. 

……..

That was a close one, but what fun would it be if there wasn’t a little risk of her seeing, Thomas thought to himself. She was exactly where he wanted her, slightly uncomfortable and vulnerable. He’d referred to her by her new name to avoid suspicion. If he’d called her Jane, she might’ve ran again, and his plan was to be precisely carried out. Each little step was important. 

First, he would play with her a little. Texting her from an unknown number was just phase 1 of his fun. He walked down the few blocks where he had parked, and returned to his hotel. He’d left Rachel at the hotel. She would only be a liability to his plan. She didn’t even know that he already knew exactly where Jane was at every hour of the day.

“Any news?” Rachel asked when he walked in. 

“No, nothing new. But that’s to be expected,” Thomas lied. “We’re close though, she’s here in Seattle. I know she is.”

“Good. I don’t want to wait much longer before I can marry you,” Rachel said, sitting next to him on the bed. 

“I promise it won’t be long,” Thomas told her. “I love you. We are going to find her soon, and then we can be together.”

Thomas was used to lying through his teeth. Love wasn’t real to him, but women thought it was, so he told them he loved them to make his life easier, and to make the women easier to manipulate. 

……..

As the plane touched down on the runway, Hopper felt better and worse. He felt better because he was now in the same city as his daughter for the first time in two years, but he felt worse because now that he was here, he had no idea where to go looking for her. And on top of that, he had to not be seen by Thomas to protect Annie. 

He remembered her careful instructions and held onto them like a lifeline. 

“Go to the city, and start looking for any signs of an El Ives. It’ll be extremely difficult because she’s unlikely to leave her mark anywhere. She never told me an address for her apartment, and the only thing she told me about her job was that she was working in a bar, she didn’t even tell me which one. So, if I were you, I would start at all the bars,” she had told him. “She won’t look the same. She’s changed her appearance, so look at the faces of everyone you see.”

“What about the phone number you used to contact her?” Hopper had asked. 

“Thomas stole my cell phone when he questioned me. I didn’t have her number anywhere else,” Annie said sadly. 

So with little information to go on, Hopper set off on his search for his daughter. He just hoped he would find her before someone else did. 

……..

“So, you have no idea who would be sending you these messages?” Mike asked as he scrolled through the texts from the unknown number on El’s phone. 

“There are only five people who should have my number: you, Max, Annie, my boss, and my landlord. No one else should have it, but somehow they do,” El said, fidgeting nervously. She’d invited Mike over to her apartment first thing this morning to talk about the texts. 

“Why don’t you block them?” Mike replied. 

“I could, but I feel like it won’t help… Like they’ll find another way to talk to me… Or worse, what if they come see me in person?” El worried. “Mike, what if this has something to do with Thomas?” 

Mike wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that there was no way that it was Thomas because she’d done a great job of hiding herself from him and it’d been two years since she’d last had contact with him. But the problem was that it very well could be Thomas, and Mike didn’t want to scare El, but he didn’t want to tell her everything was fine either. He didn’t know if everything would be fine. 

“I don’t know, El… What are the chances that he would find you now, after two years of being completely off the radar?” he finally said. 

El shook her head, unsure. “He’s smart. And he likes to play games with you… it seems like something that he would do, as much as I hate to admit it and as much as it terrifies me.”

“Hey,” Mike touched her cheek, “It’ll be okay. We’ll figure this out. We’ll look into ways that you might be able to protect yourself. We’ll talk to a lawyer or something… I’m not going to let him hurt you. Never again.”

El smiled sweetly at Mike’s touch. It was comforting to have him on her side. “Okay,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him. 

Kissing Mike after telling him about her past was different, almost as if the emotional connection was now overpowering them. Their kisses were even more passionate, warm, and exciting. El felt herself drifting farther and farther away from the panic she’d felt the other night before having told him her story. She didn’t think about Thomas’s hands on her now, while Mike’s hands moved from her face to her waist. It would be so easy to get lost in each other, so easy to go where El hadn’t for two years. 

Mike stopped kissing her for a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asked. “This isn’t too much, is it?”

El’s heart warmed at his concern for her. “Completely okay,” she assured him quickly. Suddenly, El wasn’t afraid of having a more physical relationship with Mike. In fact, she wanted to more than she had realized. She wondered if her sudden realization about their emotional connection had changed all aspects of the relationship. 

However, the moment came to an abrupt halt when there was a sudden knocking on El’s door. 

“Open up!” Max’s voice shouted from the other side of the door. 

El rolled her eyes, but got up to let her in, leaving Mike looking a little disappointed at the interruption. 

Max strolled in with a bag of what appeared to be alcohol. “Sup Wheeler,” she greeted with a smile. 

“Hey, Max,” Mike replied, trying to not seem annoyed. 

Max set the bag on the kitchen table and finally took in the scene before her, Mike and El both looking a little disheveled and awkward. A shit-eating grin appeared on her face. “So, what were you guys doing before I showed up?” Max taunted. 

“Nothing,” they both answered simultaneously. 

“Sure you were,” Max rolled her eyes playfully, but moved on. “I brought over some drinks for the big pizza night shindig tonight. And you texted me saying that you got some weird texts last night,” she said, looking at El.

“Oh, yeah,” El handed over her phone. “Here.”

Max scrolled through the texts, frowning. “Seems like a total creep. Any clue who it is?”

“Well… we were actually afraid that it might be Thomas, but we don’t know for sure, and we’re gonna try to do something about it,” Mike explained. 

“I’m tired of running from him.. So, if it is him… I want to be prepared to legally protect myself,” El told her. 

Max nodded. “Good idea. And if it is him, he’ll have to go through me first.”

“Me too,” Mike added. 

Max looked over at him. “You’re a pretty good guy, Wheeler.”

“You’re not so bad yourself, Mayfield,” Mike replied. 

“Thanks.”

“Hey, El. Are you sure tonight’s a good idea? With all the texts and the Thomas stuff, I don’t want to make you stressed,” Mike asked.

“No, it’s okay, Mike. Tonight will be good. It’ll distract me. We can’t do anything about the situation yet anyways.”

So, later that night, the Party along with the new additions of Max and El had their pizza night at Mike’s apartment. And it was really, really fun. El found herself relaxing and laughing with all of Mike’s friends. She didn’t feel like she had to hide, and she felt truly happy living in the moment. Max was enjoying herself too, whispering to El about halfway through the evening that she had her eyes on Lucas. El smiled and encouraged her friend to go for it. For the rest of the evening, El watched as Max subtly flirted with Lucas. 

When the evening was finally over, Mike and El told all of their friends goodbye as they all left for their own apartments. 

“You were right,” Mike told El. “That was a really great night.”

El giggled. “Yeah, Max and Lucas sure hit it off.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re at his apartment making out by now,” Mike laughed. 

“Oh, I guarantee that’s what’s happening,” El said. 

Mike was quiet for a moment before finally saying, “About earlier, at your place… when Max interrupted us…”

“God, that was humiliating,” El replied. 

“Yeah, but I mean… did you… are you… I mean, we haven’t really talked about sex a whole lot, and I don’t want to pressure you. But it seemed like earlier, we were heading in that direction, and I just want to make sure that’s what you want,” Mike stuttered out. 

“It’s taken me a long time to feel okay with the idea… But with you… I feel safe, and whole… I’m… I’m ready,” El admitted. 

“You’re sure?” Mike asked, wanting to be a gentleman. 

“Yeah, Mike… I…” El hesitated, wondering if she should tell him how she felt. “I love you.”

“I love you too, El,” he replied without hesitation. 

And suddenly, nothing else in the entire world mattered because El loved Mike and Mike loved El. It was in that moment that El knew that Mike was her person, the one person in the world she could trust and rely on. She was in love with him. 

It wasn’t long before they went to Mike’s bedroom, where they made love for the very first time. 

And this time, there were no interruptions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHH there's so much going on and I LOVE IT. I'm super motivated to write at this point in time, which is good because we're diving headfirst into some PLOT and I shouldn't take long between chapters. (As you know from the fact I wrote this in two days!!) 
> 
> As always, much love to you all for reading my stories!


	10. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El and Mike try to figure out a plan to keep El safe, and make a decision about their relationship in the process. Thomas is just about to put his plan into motion. And Hopper finally gets a lead as to where El is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Just wanted to say really quickly before you read this that there is some information in this chapter about the legal system and how domestic violence is handled, and that information might not be 100% correct. Forgive me for that, I did some research, but it just so confusing and I tried. I did my best. Otherwise, enjoy this lovely chapter where things go wrong and right at the same time. :)

El awoke in the morning to the smell of coffee and waffles. She laid in bed for a moment, remembering the previous night with warmth. Mike’s comforter was fluffy and warm, making El want to stay in bed all day, but she was also starving, so she got up to head towards the enticing scent of breakfast. 

Mike was standing at the coffee machine, pouring out the coffee into two mugs. 

“Hey there,” Mike said as she walked in. “You look beautiful in the morning.”

He stepped towards her, handing her one of the mugs and kissing her lightly on the forehead. 

“Thanks,” she grinned up at him as she took a sip. 

“Go sit at the table, and I’ll bring you some waffles,” Mike told her. 

El went and sat down as he brought the waffles. She could hardly believe that this was her life now. Never in a million years had she thought she’d fall in love after Thomas, yet here she was, having breakfast with a guy who was absolutely perfect for her, kind and sweet. They talked about the plans for the day. Mike had to work, but then, they would be meeting with a lawyer that Mike had found to discuss El’s options. They weren’t really sure what the lawyer could do for her, but they wanted to see if it was at all possible to take legal action and protect herself from Thomas. 

El was hopeful that something could be done, but she was afraid that any steps she took to keep herself safe would lead him directly to her. She didn’t want to have to start all over again, and she was tired of being so afraid all the time. There had to be a way to move on. 

……..

Thomas waited patiently for his moment. He knew it would have to be soon. Rachel was getting more and more impatient with their extended stay in Seattle. It would have to be tomorrow or the next day. He would have to see her very soon… in person. He hoped that she wouldn’t be too difficult. 

Thomas was unbothered by the fact that Jane was in love with her new boyfriend. He couldn’t care any less about what she did. And besides, it actually worked out in his favor. Now that Jane had roots here in Seattle, she wouldn’t want to leave suddenly. She’d stay for him. And that would make Thomas’s plan much easier. He’d eliminate Jane, as well as her boyfriend, who knew too much. And he likely had to deal with Jane’s redheaded best friend too, who Thomas thought would know at least a little. 

He watched from his car as Jane walked out of her boyfriend’s apartment building to get in her car. She was wearing the same clothes she had been in the day before. Thomas then began to follow her from a distance, driving down the streets two or three cars behind her at all times. Finally, she reached her own apartment complex. Thomas parked his car and continued watching. 

Waiting. It wouldn’t be long now. 

……..

Hopper was exhausted. He’d been to what felt like hundreds of bars, yet he’d found no trace of an El Ives. Seattle was a large city, and Hopper didn’t know it all that well. He tried to follow the maps on his phone, but he wasn’t exactly technologically savvy, so he got turned around often. He was getting desperate, actually asking people that worked in the bars if they knew his daughter. And there was also the question of whether Jane was actually in Seattle, or if she was in one of the neighboring cities or suburbs. 

Hopper wondered how far ahead Thomas was, if he would get to Jane before Hopper did. Did Thomas spend days or even weeks searching through the bars in the city to find her? Or did he somehow find her without as much difficulty? 

Hopper looked down at his phone. There were six missed calls from the station back home. He’d given very little information when he’d told them he’d need to take some time off until further notice. The only explanation he’d given was that it was a family emergency. Sighing, he decided to call them back just to make sure they were okay without him. 

“Hello?” Flo answered the phone.

“Hey, it’s me,” Hopper said. “You guys okay?”

“Well, nothing out of the ordinary is happening here, but the rest of us don’t understand what you’re doing.. I’m a little worried about you, Hop.”

“I’m okay, Flo. I really am. I just have something to take care of, and then, I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay?” Hopper tried to calm her nerves.

“Your… family emergency?” she asked, seeming a little skeptical. She knew that Hopper had no family left, except for a daughter that couldn’t be located. 

“Yes, it’s… Jane. But I can’t talk about it.”

“Okay, Hop. Be safe,” Flo told him. 

“I will,” Hopper hung up, and set off to the next place, hoping that he would finally find his daughter. 

……..

Sitting in a lawyer’s office felt a little scary to El. She was taking a big leap by telling a total stranger her story, but she had to if she wanted to live her life without fear of Thomas’s interference. 

Mike held her hand as she talked with Ms. Jenkins, telling her the horrible details of her past. El felt the tears falling down her cheeks as she spoke, but her voice didn’t waiver. She needed to be strong. 

“Ms. Ives, I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of that.” Ms. Jenkins told her. “You aren’t the first domestic violence victim I’ve had come to me for help, but yours is certainly one of the most traumatic I’ve heard… And I’m afraid I have some unfortunate options for you. It’s not that you won’t be able to do anything to protect yourself, there are some possibilities. However, actually convicting your husband will be… highly difficult. Because all of the abuse occurred two years ago, there is very little evidence we can provide a judge in a trial. We have your account as a victim, but with no additional witnesses, it’s just a battle of his word against yours.”

“What about me? Can’t I be a witness?” Mike asked. 

“I’m afraid not, since you didn’t actually know Ms. Ives until after the last incident. All the information you’ve been given about the situation has come from Ms. Ives herself,” Ms. Jenkins explained. “We could move forward with pressing charges against Mr. Brenner, but it’s a long process, and it might not put him behind bars.”

“What do you mean exactly?” El asked. 

“Let’s say we go ahead and press charges. It could take weeks to locate your husband and arrest him. Then, it would take weeks, even months before we could take the issue to trial. And once we finally take the case to court, there’s still no guarantees that we would win the case,” Ms. Jenkins told them. 

“So your saying… it wouldn’t be worth it?” El questioned. 

“Not exactly, I’m saying… that if you don’t want him to find you at all, you might want to consider… well, keeping your life as it is. I know you’re afraid of him finding you, but do you have any clue as to whether he knows where you might be?” 

“Actually… I got these weird text messages the other day… they could be from him, but I’m not sure. I don’t give my number out to many people,” El handed her cell phone to Ms. Jenkins, who began scrolling through the messages.

“Hm,” she said. “It is odd….”

“What about a restraining order?” Mike asked. 

“Well, a restraining order would be more of a bandaid for the problem… but it could be helpful,” Ms. Jenkins replied. 

“Would you have to use my new name on it or could we put Jane Brenner?” El asked. 

“It’s a legal document, so we would have to use your legal name,” Mr. Jenkins answered. 

“Then, I can’t do that. If he knows my name, he could find me. I don’t think a restraining order would keep him away,” El said quickly.

“I understand….” Ms. Jenkins replied. “I suggest you try to stay safe in other ways, then. Perhaps joining a self-defense class, carrying pepper spray at all times, and being cautious when meeting new people will help keep you safe. I know it’s not ideal, and it’s scary, but there isn’t much else we can do for you if you don’t want him to know where you are.”

El looked dejected and disappointed. “Okay.”

When they left the lawyer’s office and got into Mike’s car, El was quiet, making Mike feel bad about this whole thing.

“I’m sorry, El,” he said after a while, when they were parked at the front of her apartment. 

“Don’t apologize… it’s not your fault.. If anyone’s at fault, it’s me,” El replied. 

“What? El, no,” Mike grabbed her hand. 

“Yes, it’s my fault, Mike,” she looked down with tears filling her eyes. “I should have dealt with all this two years ago. I would’ve been able to provide evidence back then and maybe he would’ve actually been put in jail… But instead I ran away, like a coward.”

“No, El, you’re not a coward. And none of this is your fault, okay? None of it. It’s all his fault. You were so incredibly brave for leaving when you did, and you’ve been able to create this whole new life for yourself. You’re the most amazing and strong person I’ve ever met, so don’t say that this is all your fault.”

El finally met his eyes. “I feel like I don’t deserve you… I mean, you’re so kind and caring. Most guys would take one look at his mess and run away.”

“I’m not like most guys. I’m yours, okay? You deserve to be loved… and I do. I love you more than I ever imagined,” Mike told her. 

“I love you too,” El wiped at the tear falling down her cheek, smiling a little. 

……..

Thomas sat in his car, parked outside of El’s apartment once again. She would be leaving for work in a few hours. After yesterday, where he had followed her and her boyfriend to some lawyer’s office, he knew he had to put his plan into motion. It had to be today. 

He thought of these past several months tracking her down. She really was more trouble than she’s worth in Thomas’s sadistic mind. He hoped that Rachel wouldn’t be stupid enough to repeat Jane’s mistakes. As long as the two women never actually met… but Rachel was getting anxious. Thomas might need to include her more soon, she was getting bored being stuck in their hotel room all alone. He would tell her that he’d found Jane tonight. Afterwards, of course. 

Time moves relatively slowly when you’re stalking your runaway wife for days and nights on end. It was a good thing that he would be moving forward tonight. It would speed up the process, and take things up another notch. Thomas was excited. 

In his haste, Thomas pulled out his phone and typed a single word to text. 

……..

Unknown: Soon.

El read the text over and over again, even though it was just a single word. It terrified her to think about what it meant. What did “Soon” mean? Would this person try to hurt her or scare her? What was their plan? If it was Thomas, how would she get away from him again? What if she didn’t want to run away anymore?

Fingers shaking, she went to her contacts and called Mike. 

He answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, I know you’re at work, but… I just got another creepy text from that unknown number,” El explained. 

“What did it say?” Mike asked, concerned. 

“Soon.”

“That’s it?” 

“Yeah,” El nodded even though Mike couldn’t see her. 

“Shit…” Mike muttered. “Are you okay? Do you need anything? Should I leave work?”

“No, no, I just… I’m afraid of being alone…. I’m afraid that something will happen to me,” El admitted. She was absentmindedly biting her nails in her nervous anxiety. 

“Okay… so from now on, I’m never leaving you alone,” Mike replied simply. 

“Mike, you can’t do that. You have work and I don’t want you to feel like you need to babysit me,” El told him. 

“No, that’s not what I meant…. I meant… Move in with me,” Mike said. 

“What?”

“Move in with me,” he repeated. 

“But, Mike,” El started. 

“No, listen… I… I’ve thinking about it since yesterday, after we saw Ms. Jenkins. I love you, El, and I hate to see you so scared. I want to protect you in every possible way that I can…. So, move in with me. I know it’s fast, and we have only been dating for a little while, but I can’t imagine not being with you…. And while I’m at work, I’ll have one of the guys come hang out with you, or Max, so you’re not alone.”

“You’re serious?” El asked. 

“Serious as a heart attack,” Mike answered without hesitation. 

El grinned, “Okay.”

……..

It was almost four o’clock when Hopper entered a bar in uptown, one of the last ones that was technically in Seattle. If he hit a dead end here, he would need to branch out to the surrounding suburbs and smaller cities. 

It was a weekday, and it was still early, so the bar was nearly empty. There were just a couple of older men who looked like they might live in the bar itself, and one redheaded bartender who looked bored as she wiped down one of the tables. 

“Hello,” he said, getting the woman’s attention.

“Do you happen to know if a woman named El Ives works here?” he asked. 

The redhead eyed him suspiciously before asking, “Who are you?”

“Jim Hopper, I’m El’s father,” Hopper told her. 

The woman still appeared suspicious. “You got an ID?”

“Yeah,” Hopper answered, pulling out his wallet, and fishing out his license. “Here.”

She held the ID in front of her face, examining it closely, closer than any regular bartender would, before handing it back to him. 

“I don’t give out El’s personal information to anyone. Even someone claiming to be her father, with an ID to prove it. You’ll have to come back when she’s working,” the woman told him. 

So, he was in the right place. And this woman, she knew everything. Hopper could tell by the way she was protecting his daughter. And the way she was cautious with talking to him. 

“When will she be here?” Hopper asked. 

“Later tonight,” she answered vaguely, and Hopper could tell that was the most he was going to get from her. 

“Thanks,” he said, turning to head out until he was sure Jane would be working. 

……..

El was feeling a bit like she had been put through a rollercoaster of emotions, as she started her shift at the bar. Mike sat at one end, while Max was filling some orders on the other end. First, she had been afraid of the anonymous texts, and then she had been happy that Mike had asked her to move in with him. Then, Max had called to tell her that a man had shown up at the bar claiming to be her father. El had asked if Max had believed him, to which Max had replied, “He seemed exactly like you described him, El. I think it’s really him, but I didn’t give him your number or address or anything just in case. He’s coming back tonight to see you.” 

A part of El was confused as to how her father would find her in the first place, but then again, her father could be a real detective if he wanted to be. El was nervous and excited to see her father again, if it really was him. Maybe keeping him out of her new life was a bad decision, because now, El couldn’t bring herself to come up with a reason that he shouldn’t know where she was. 

“Looks like it’s gonna be a slow evening,” El said to Mike as she leaned on the counter. 

“Well, at least you won’t feel overworked tonight…. Hey, I’ll be back in a few. I’m gonna go to the bathroom,” Mike told her, kissing her on the cheek as he left. 

El didn’t hear the sound of the door to the bar being opened, as she filled a couple of shot glasses to carry to one of the tables. She started walking to the table, not focusing on her surroundings very well as she kept her eyes trained to the shots she was carrying so she wouldn’t spill them. 

And then she walked right into someone. 

Someone who was terrifyingly familiar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... a cliffhanger????? what????? oof. srry folks, but I felt like that would be a reeeaaaaally good place to end that chapter. I should update again by Thursday of next week. I'm going on a little weekend getaway so that might keep me from updating any sooner than that. BUT we are hitting the nerve-wracking portion of this story, and I'm so excited to write it!


	11. Rachel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El and Thomas come face to face for the first time since El escaped. Something happens to Hopper. And Rachel has second thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, hey, let's go with another chapter!

Hopper didn’t realize he was being followed until it was too late. He was already on his way back to the bar where Jane worked, when he noticed a man walking behind him. Of course, this wasn’t enough to cause alarm, especially in the city, where there are always people walking near you. But the man stayed with Hopper, longer than what was usual. Just as Hopper was about to pass an alleyway, the man ran forward, pushing him into it. He felt the blow of a fist slamming into his jaw, and then a knee into his gut before he was able to react at all. He threw his own punches at the assailant, but it was clear that he had been caught off guard. Even with Hopper’s strength and size, the man put him on the ground with blood caked on his face in just minutes. 

“What the hell?” Hopper muttered, before finally realizing who he was looking at. 

“You’re a pretty sneaky detective when it comes to finding things. Although, I do believe that Annie paid you a visit and took away some of the obstacles,” Thomas said. “Still, you were able to find Jane pretty quickly. I hadn’t expected you to find her so fast… But just like your daughter, you continue to underestimate me.”

“You’ll pay for everything you’ve done to her, you piece of shit,” Hopper replied. 

Thomas chuckled. “Like I said, you underestimate me… I’m paying your daughter a visit tonight. And you are not going to be in my way.”

Hopper’s heart was beating quickly as he tried to find a way to help Jane. He had to get away from Thomas. He watched as Thomas got closer, waited for the exact moment…. Then, he kicked Thomas with both of his legs. Standing up as quickly as his injured body would allow, Hopper started to run.

Suddenly, there was an all-too-familiar clicking sound, freezing Hopper in his tracks. He turned his head to look back at Thomas. 

“You fucking idiot,” Thomas seethed, holding a gun aimed directly at Hopper’s heart. “You do exactly what I say or you get blown to bits this very second. You got that, asshole?” 

Hopper’s hands reluctantly went up in surrender. There was no way out of this, not right now at least. 

……..

Thomas was exhilarated by the action that this day had brought him. Finding out that James Hopper, the father of his soon-to-be ex-wife, had actually managed to find El on the very same day that he was planning to talk to her had been like fate. It was perfect. The only issue had been where to put Hopper while he went about his plan. In the end, he’d taken Hopper very reluctantly to the hotel with a confused Rachel. He’d told her very little, and made sure that she wouldn’t believe anything he told her. Thomas had told Rachel that Hopper was a liar, an idiot, and that he needed to stay in their hotel room until he could do something about him. She had been confused, but agreed. 

Now, Thomas was finally about to see his wife after two years of searching for her, and oh what a joyous occasion this would be. He was practically giddy as he walked to the bar. It was the first time he entered through the bar doors without some sort of disguise, the first time his identity was on full display. 

And there she was, not paying a least bit attention to her surroundings as she walked directly into him. 

……..

El stood frozen looking up in terror, because what else is there to do when you walk directly into your worst nightmare? This was supposed to be her safe place, the one place she could be someone else, the place where she didn’t have to feel afraid. But now she was beyond terrified, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. 

“Hello, Jane. Long time no see,” Thomas finally said, smiling evilly as he spoke. “Or is it El, now?”

“What the hell are you doing here?” El muttered, almost too quietly for him to hear. 

“Ah, well, Jane. I am your husband. I’ve been searching for you for years now… I was finally able to track you down thanks to a certain woman I believe you have been in contact with since you left,” Thomas told her. 

El didn’t say anything. 

“You know, I waited for you to come home for a long time.. but I’m a man, and I couldn’t wait forever.. I’m with someone else, now,” he explained. “And I know that you are seeing someone too.”

El tried to not think about how he knew that. 

“I came for a divorce, Jane. See, my fiancé Rachel and I would very much like to get married, but seeing as I am still legally married to you, I cannot marry her.”

At this, El finally spoke. “You’re just here for a divorce? That’s it?” 

“Of course, what else would I be here for?” Thomas asked in mock innocence. “If you weren’t so dramatic, we could’ve handled this exchange two years ago.”

El ignored that jab. “Do you have… papers for me to sign?”

“Yes, I’ll bring them by tomorrow?” Thomas suggested. 

El nodded hesitantly. She knew there was more that he wanted. She knew this wouldn’t be so easy. 

“Good,” Thomas grinned. “I’ll be back.”

El watched as he walked back out of the door. 

“Hey,” Mike appeared next to her. “Who was that?” 

El looked up at him, her eyes starting to fill with tears. 

“Whoa, whoa, what’s wrong?” He asked quickly. 

And then, El just fell apart in his arms. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. She barely noticed that the others in the bar were watching her in concern, and she barely noticed when Mike pulled her into the back of the bar where there would be no one to see her turn into the mess she knew she was. 

“El, it’s okay.. it’s okay… shhh,” he held her close against his chest. “You’re shaking.”

“I’m sorry,” she managed to sputter out in-between cries.

“No, no, it’s okay.. I’m here.”

It was a long time before she was able to speak again. 

“Was that…. him?” Mike asked after she’d been silent for a while. 

“Yes,” El answered. “He’s coming back tomorrow with divorce papers.”

“Is that all he wants?” Mike replied. 

“That’s all he says he wants, but I’m not sure if I believe him…. He’s sadistic, and he always wants more than what he’s asking,” El told him. 

“I’ll protect you,” Mike said. “I won’t let him hurt you ever again.”

“But you’re just one person, Mike. And Thomas, he’s… he’s very good at getting what he wants.” 

“What if I said I wasn’t just one person?” Mike said. 

……..

Gathered in Mike and El’s apartment, Lucas, Will, Dustin, and Max were looking very confused as to why they needed to come over this early in the morning. 

“I’m officially calling a Party meeting to order,” Mike announced, standing in front of everyone with El at his side.

“Wait, we can’t have a Party meeting with outsiders,” Dustin replied. 

“Exactly,” Mike said, “That’s why my first order of business is to officially make El and Max Party members. Do I have any objections?”

Something in Mike’s eyes kept the others from asking too many questions, so they all stayed silent. 

“Good,” Mike continued. “Now, one of the rules about being in the Party is that when a Party member requires assistance, it is our duty to provide that assistance. And right now we need your help.”

“Anything,” Will answered dutifully. 

“What’s going on?” Lucas asked. 

Taking a deep breath, El stepped forward. “I am a victim of domestic violence. I ran away from my husband who abused me physically, emotionally, and sexually two years ago. But last night, he found me. He says that he wants a divorce, but I’m not sure if that’s the only thing he wants from me. I’m afraid that he will try to hurt me… or even kill me. I need your help so that I feel safe.”

“We were hoping that we could try to keep at least two of us with El at all times.. So that she’s never alone,” Mike added. 

“I know we haven’t known each other for a long time,” El said to her new friends. “But I feel like I can trust you guys. I’ve tried isolating myself before, and it didn’t do anything to help me. I was just so lonely and afraid all the time. Having all of you in my life means that at least I’m not alone. I have people… and sometimes, just having people makes it all a little bit better.”

“So…” Mike said. “Who’s in?” 

“I am,” Will answered. 

“Me too,” Max replied. 

“I’d do anything for any one of you,” Lucas said, “So, yes, I’m in.”

“Ditto,” Dustin answered. 

“Alright then,” Mike grinned. “Let’s strategize.”

……..

“Do you have to go again?” Rachel asked as Thomas began putting on his jacket. 

“I’ll be back later, I promise,” Thomas said. 

“I want to come with you tonight when you take the papers for her to sign,” Rachel insisted. 

Thomas sighed, almost exasperated with her determination. “Fine, you can come.”

Rachel wanted to see this woman who had so dramatically left her fiancé. She would likely be a mess, someone who was maybe half as pretty as herself and mentally unstable. That was how Thomas had always described her. 

Thomas left the hotel room leaving Rachel alone once again. Well, as alone as you could be with a man hidden in the hotel closet. She gathered the small breakfast that she would give him and opened the closet door. 

“Here’s your breakfast,” she mumbled as she handed it over. It was an apple and a dry bagel. Not exactly the best breakfast, but enough to keep this man from being too hungry. She didn’t fully know why Thomas wanted to keep him held hostage. All she knew was that the man was dangerous and a liar. 

“Thanks,” he told her. It was the first word he’d spoken to her. 

“You can talk,” she said in surprise. If she wasn’t so lonely, she would never start a conversation with this man, but Thomas had been leaving her all alone too often. 

“So, you are Thomas’s new victim,” the man said without humor, as if he were totally serious. 

“What do you mean ‘victim’?” she asked.

“My daughter was married to Thomas… well, I guess she still is. But she left him because he treated her like shit. I should’ve protected her,” he said. 

“You should have taught her not to be so inconsiderate. It’s taken us a long time tracking her down for a divorce,” Rachel replied before she could stop herself. 

The man chuckled humorlessly. “He’s very good at manipulation. I know that now. You’ll find out if you end up staying with him. He has this ability to make you think the sun shines out his ass, but in reality he’s a psychopath.”

“He told me you’re a liar,” Rachel said. “Why would I believe anything you’re saying?”

“Because you’re afraid. Afraid of him or afraid of being alone… maybe both. You have that same defensive look in your eyes when you talk about him that my daughter did. You don’t have to believe me, but I know that a part of you does,” the man replied as if it were common sense. 

“You asshole, I don’t know what you are talking about. I’m not afraid of Thomas. I’m in love with him. And your daughter is a bitch ass coward who runs away from her problems. Fuck the both of you,” Rachel slammed the closet door back shut in anger. 

Rachel wasn’t sure why the man’s words were making her so angry. Thomas had warned her about his mind tricks. Why had she even talked to him? She had been so stupid to even acknowledge what he was saying. 

Trying to move on with her day, she got ready for her shower, walking into the bathroom and turning on the water. She looked in the mirror at her reflection, who still appeared shaken by the encounter. But a part of her was zeroing in on a feeling, one that she’d refused to acknowledge, and one that was so small yet defined that she couldn’t bear to think about it long. Her eyes caught the sight of the small yellowing bruise on her ribcage from a few days before. Blinking quickly before the feeling overtook her, she looked away from the mirror, away from her reflection, away from the yellow bruise that taunted her, and away from the feeling that everything, every little thing that the man in her closet had said…. was true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this note really quickly bc I have to go somewhere, but I just wanted to thank all of you who continue to encourage me to write this story. It's really amazing to hear from you all, so please keep leaving me comments!


	12. Frozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel has some realizations. El signs divorce papers. Thomas is... well, Thomas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there... Apologies for the wait on this! Hopefully, I will be posting more frequently, but as you all have probably figured out by now, I literally cannot predict when I will update again. This chapter feels a little short to me, but maybe I'm imagining it? Idk, it is what it is. DRAMA and ANGST.

Rachel couldn’t help but pace back and forth in the hotel as she thought about everything she knew. 

One, there was a man in her closet. A man who was somehow able to read her like a book. A man who both terrified her and opened her eyes. 

Two, she loved Thomas. As complicated as her feelings towards him were, she did love him. And that was why she went through so much for him. She let him get away with a lot of things because she believed that a strong relationship had compromise. 

Three, Thomas was lying to her. About what, she wasn’t exactly sure, but she knew that of everything he told her, some of it wasn’t adding up anymore. There were missing links, distorted stories. She wasn’t getting all the information. Why else would Thomas have been so cryptic about the man in their closet who had revealed himself to be Thomas’ wife’s father. 

Four, there was nothing she could do about any of it. She was powerless. In the world of Thomas and Rachel, Thomas was the one in charge. And Rachel knew it. 

It was then, in that moment, that Rachel stopped pacing. Maybe she could do something about the man in the closet. 

She’d have to be very careful. Very, very careful. 

Looking at her watch, Rachel made a split decision. Thomas could be home any minute. It was now or never. 

Quickly, she went back to the man in the closet and kneeled down to where he was sitting. 

“I’m not helping you,” she told him. “I’m doing this because I don’t like having a stranger who tells lies in my closet.”

Her fingers worked their way into the knot tied around the man’s wrists and pulled it loose. Just a little bit. Just enough. She did the same for the knot around his ankles. 

“We’ll be leaving to go see your daughter in an hour. When we get back, you won’t be here. Got it?” she asked. 

The man nodded, but he looked surprised by her sudden change of heart. 

Quickly, she closed the closet door again and returned to the book she’d laid down on the bed just in time for Thomas to walk in.

A while later, the two left with the divorce papers. And the man in Rachel’s closet untied himself, snuck out of the room, and walked out into the streets of Seattle. 

……..

El hated that her friends had to babysit her all day. She hated that she had been the reason that some of them had had to call off of work to keep her company. But at the same time, she was so happy. So happy that she had friends who cared enough about her to do something like that. They had stayed with her all day, at her and Mike’s apartment, and now as she prepared for her shift at the bar, they all sat near her. Mike’s eyes never left hers, like he was trying to keep track of how she was feeling by staring into her soul. Unlike when most people stared at her, El felt safe when it was Mike. Maybe that was because she knew that he was watching her with such care and compassion. 

Max was getting ready to start her shift too. She could tell that Max was angry. Max was one of her greatest defenders. She wouldn’t put it past Max to try to punch Thomas if she got the chance. But she hoped that Max would keep her distance for whatever came of this meeting. El could only hope he’d been telling the truth about only wanting a divorce, and nothing more from her. 

Nothing was ever that easy, though. 

El wasn’t sure exactly when Thomas would show up, so she tried to go about her shift as normally as she could. Besides, she had five bodyguards there to keep her safe. 

It was half past eight when she finally saw him come through those doors. She hated the way her heart immediately kicked into overdrive at the sight of him. Her anxiety was at a high, and she quickly glanced over at Mike, who gave her an encouraging nod to let her know he was there. He was watching. 

Then, she noticed that he had not come alone. Next to him was a woman who was almost six inches taller than her. A woman who was staring right back at her with dark eyes. Dark, fearful, pained eyes. 

……..

In one moment of complete and utter realization, Rachel’s world had turned completely upside down. Because the woman that Thomas had married was nothing like he described. She was very beautiful, much more beautiful than Rachel had been expecting. And she looked like a normal girl. Not the crazy, mentally disturbed woman that Thomas had told her she was, but a young woman who had been through a lot. And survived. 

“Hello, Jane,” Thomas said almost maliciously from beside. 

“Thomas,” Jane replied quietly. “Do you have the… papers?” 

“Don’t be rude,” Thomas ignored her question. “This is Rachel, my fiancé.”

Jane reluctantly played along. “Hello,” she said with a fake smile as she lifted her hand.

Rachel shook it hesitantly. “Nice to meet you,” she replied. 

“Alright, alright,” Thomas chuckled at the awkward encounter. “Here’s your beloved papers.” He handed them over the bar to Jane, who grabbed the papers carefully and began to examine them, likely making sure they were actually divorce papers. 

Rachel watched as she began to read through the documents and sign where she needed to, but Thomas was not watching. He was staring at a man at the end of the bar, who was staring back at him with hatred. 

Almost as if he couldn’t bear to stay away, Thomas whispered something about being right back and made his way over to the man. Rachel watched for a moment before she realized that Janes eyes were no longer on the paper. They were on her. 

“He hurts you… Doesn’t he?” Jane said quietly. 

Rachel decided it would be better not to respond. 

“You might think you love him… But you’re afraid of him. I know you are because I was exactly the same as you. You can choose not to believe me, but whatever you do… Don’t let him do to you what he did to me. Don’t let him hurt you…. Don’t marry him,” Jane told her quickly, then returned to her signatures. 

Rachel felt like she was staring down the barrel of a gun. Her heart was racing. Her palms were sweaty. She wasn’t sure which way was right or left. All she knew was that she had to listen to this woman. She had to. She couldn’t make the same mistake as her. 

She had to get out. 

……..

Mike really hated Thomas. Like really, really couldn’t stand to even think about him. Because he hurt El. Thomas was as bad as human being could get. And he was staring right back at him. Could he read his mind or something? Did he know he was actively hating his guts right now? 

Mike watched as Thomas started towards him. He hoped he didn’t already know who he was. 

“Hello,” Thomas said, reaching a hand out towards Mike. “I’m sure you already know who I am.”

Mike glared at him, refusing to shake his hand or even reply. 

“Aw come on, Mike. We both know this whole thing is a big misunderstanding,” Thomas told him.

“What are you talking about?” Mike asked. He tried not to think too hard about the fact that he knew his name.

“Your girlfriend is a pretty good storyteller, isn’t she?” Thomas began to taunt him. “I’m sure she told you all about what a horrible guy I am… I mean, you really are a great guy to stick with someone that mentally insane.”

“I know you’re a liar. I know what you did to her. You’re a psychopath. An asshole….” Mike spat out. 

Thomas simply chuckled and whispered, “Prove it.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Mike replied as Thomas walked away.

……..

El watched as Thomas signed his last signature on the papers. 

“Congratulations,” Thomas said with a mock smile on his face. “You are officially not my wife anymore.”

“Thanks,” El mumbled. 

“Rachel, would you mind going to start the car?” Thomas asked. 

Rachel nodded, taking the keys from his hand and walking out. 

Thomas smiled his evil smile at El one more time, then leaned forward to whisper, “If you think that this is the end of you and me, you are delusional.”

El felt her blood run cold at his words, and she watched, frozen, as he left the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading! I know it's been a lot of drama in these last few, so I just wanted to shine a light at the end of the tunnel and tell you that we will be returning to our regularly scheduled mileven fluff very soon... I promise! Just stick with me. ;)
> 
> I'm anticipating only three more chapters of this... eeek! I'm so excited to finish this story for you all!


	13. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final showdown between El and Thomas, in which the "hero" is someone no one expects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOW i managed to churn out this chapter in record time, I don't know... I do know, however, that y'all are probably not prepared for how this chapter ends. 
> 
> and uh, a teensy bit of a TW might be needed here: some descriptions of violence/abuse.

“Are you okay?” El heard Mike ask from next to her just a few moments after Thomas had walked through the door. 

“Yeah, I’m okay,” El answered. She was okay, surprising herself. Seeing Thomas was scary and nerve-racking, but she was happy that she had done it. She wasn’t married to him anymore. 

“So… is he gone.. for good?” Mike asked. 

El wasn’t sure how to answer his question. “I don’t think he is… but I’m not going to let him get away with scaring me anymore. I don’t want to be afraid of him.”

Mike’s arms wrapped around El’s waist, making her feel safe and comforted. 

“He knew my name,” he told her. 

“He’s been watching us,” El replied simply. It didn’t surprise her. “I’m sorry to drag you into this.”

“No, El… I told you… you mean too much to me. I couldn’t stand back and let him hurt you or manipulate you again. I love you.”

It was a weird moment in time. El felt like she was both safer and even less safe at the same time. She wouldn’t forget about Thomas’ threat, but she didn’t feel so afraid anymore. She had people here who would take care of her. People who would always be in her corner. 

Her friends had promised to always be there for her. 

And friends don’t lie. 

……..

Hopper ran down the street as quickly as he could. He wanted to beat Thomas to the bar, to get there before he did, but he knew that it would be impossible. So, he just had to settle to being there as soon as he could. He had to be there for Jane. 

There wasn’t too much traffic, and he was able to get a cab without much trouble. He gave the driver the name of the bar that Jane worked at and told him to step on it. The driver seemed unfazed by his urgency and continued to drive normally. 

Fifteen minutes later, Hopper’s cab pulled up next to the front door of the bar. He got out, throwing some cash at the driver and heading to the window to peek into the building. He saw Thomas standing there with the woman who had freed him, and then he saw Jane. Beautiful Jane, who was so strong and so smart. She didn’t show her emotions on her face right now as she spoke to Thomas. 

Hopper continued to watch as Jane signed the papers. Thomas walked over to a young man at the end of the bar, who appeared to hate him just as much as Hopper did. They spoke to each other for only a few moments before Thomas returned to Jane and his fiancé. A few minutes later, the woman started to walk towards the door. Hopper ran away quickly to hide behind the side of the building. 

One minute after, Thomas was getting into his car and driving away. Hopper waited until the car was out of sight before returning to the window to see if Jane was okay. 

She was smiling now at the man that Thomas had talked to earlier. He had his arms around her, and Hopper couldn’t help but smile. Jane was happy here. She had a whole new life, and apparently someone who seemed to care for her and made her happy. Hopper had never seen her smile at someone the way she was smiling at this man. 

“Enjoying the show?” someone asked. Hopper turned around to see the redhead bartender standing by the door. 

“I was just making sure she was okay,” Hopper explained. 

“I understand,” the redhead said. She seemed a little kinder towards him tonight. Perhaps she knew that the greater threat had just left. “She misses you…. You should go see her.”

“I don’t know if I should.. she seems happy here,” Hopper answered. He didn’t want to intrude on her life if she didn’t want him to. 

“She left because of him. That’s the only reason she left Indiana. She hated leaving you and her mom there. She would love to see you again,” the redhead said. 

“Thanks…. um?” 

“Max,” she supplied. 

“Thanks, Max.”

……..

Rachel felt anxious as they rode the elevator up to the hotel room. She hoped that Jane’s father was long gone by now and that Thomas wouldn’t suspect that she had anything to do with it. Thomas had been with her the whole time they were gone. There was no way he could think she’d let him out. 

The room looked exactly the way it had when they had left. Nothing out of place. Nothing suspicious. 

Thomas handed her a box of food. “Go give him his dinner,” he told her. 

Rachel took the box to the closet and opened up the door. “Thomas,” she said with all the confusion she could muster. “He’s gone.”

“What?” Thomas ran over to the closet to see for himself. “Damn it! That fuckin bastard.”

Rachel didn’t speak. She usually didn’t speak when he got angry like this. It would only make things worse. 

“How the hell did he get out of his ties?” Thomas asked. “Did you do anything?” 

Rachel shook her head quickly. “No, I was with you the whole time.”

Thomas was not appeased. “Did you speak to him?”

“Just when I give him food,” Rachel replied. 

“Shit.” Thomas started mumbling angrily to himself. 

“Why did we have to keep him here?” Rachel asked. She knew the answer, but she wanted to hear what he would say. She wanted him to lie to her face. She wanted him to confirm all her suspicions. 

“I told you. He’s a bad man. He’s going to mess things up for me pretty bad. We used to work together before he stole money from me,” Thomas lied through his teeth. 

There it was. Her confirmation. 

“You’re lying,” she said. It was stupid to confront him now while there was no one around. Brave, but also stupid. 

“What did you just say to me?” Thomas challenged. This was going to be ugly. 

“Tell me the truth… Who is that man?” Rachel asked. 

“Don’t talk to me that way.”

“Tell the truth! Tell me who that man is!” Rachel shouted. “Tell me that he’s Jane’s father! Tell me that I shouldn’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth!”

Thomas was frighteningly quiet. “You talked to him.”

Rachel fumed silently.

“You let him go…. Didn’t you?” Thomas stepped towards her. “Didn’t you?!” 

Rachel refused to speak. 

“If you think that this little dramatic display you are putting on is going to save you from me, then you are sadly mistaken… No matter where you go or what you do, I will find you. I will always find you,” Thomas whispered only inches from Rachel’s face. 

“Fuck you,” Rachel replied. Then, she felt the blow of his fist into her jaw. She fell to the floor as her vision began to fade, and Thomas walked back out the door. 

……..

El was still hugging Mike when her father walked through the door, taking her by complete surprise. This night was giving her emotional whiplash. 

“Dad?” she said, not managing to hold back her smile. 

“Hey Janie,” he replied in his gruff voice. 

“Dad!” she shout as she launched herself into his arms. “I have so many questions. How did you find me? What are you doing here?”

Her father chuckled. “Annie,” he answered. “She tipped me off about Thomas coming out here to see you.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” El said. “Where’s mom?”

Her question was met with a sad look from her father. “I’m sorry, honey… but after you left, your mom got really sick…. She passed away about a year ago.”

And just like that El’s happiness from seeing her father again was mixed with pain from knowing that her mother was gone. And she would never get that time with her back. 

“Honey, she was so proud of you. She would be so proud of what you’ve done with your life,” her dad told her. “I know you’re sad, but I really missed ya, kid.”

“I missed you, too,” El replied, trying not to keep thinking about the pain of grief. “Here, meet my friends,” she said to distract herself. 

El pulled her father over to where the Party had been sitting for most of the evening. “Dad, this is Lucas, Dustin, and Will…. That’s my best friend Max over there serving drinks,” she pointed. 

“Nice to meet all of you,” Hopper said. 

“And this,” El grabbed Mike’s hand and pulled him over to them. “Is my boyfriend, Mike.”

“Hello, sir,” Mike said, raising his hand for her dad to shake. 

Hopper took his hand, “You taking better care of her than her last boyfriend?”

“Absolutely,” Mike answered without hesitation. 

……..

The Party and Hopper stayed at the bar talking until after closing time. El and Max finished out their shifts, and finally it was only the seven of them left in the building. 

“I can’t believe he did that to you,” Max said. Hopper had just told them about being held hostage by Thomas. 

“I can…” El replied. “There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his own personal gain.”

“We have to find a way to stop him from doing this to people,” Mike said. 

“How?” Will thought aloud. 

“I think if we get his fiancé involved, we might be able to do something to put him behind bars,” El told them. “I saw something in her eyes tonight… She is just as scared and confused as I was. I think if we somehow got her to help us, we could take Thomas down for good.”

“You’re right,” Hopper nodded. “She wouldn’t have let me go if there wasn’t any doubt in her mind about him.”

“How do we find her though?” Dustin asked. 

“I know where they are staying… Maybe I can somehow get a message to her,” Hopper said. 

“Guys, it’s getting pretty late,” Max changed the subject. “Can we continue this chat tomorrow?” 

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” El agreed. 

“Oh, shit,” Max said suddenly. “I forgot to take out the trash.”

“Oh, I’ll get it, Max. You go on home,” El told her. 

“We’ll wait for you,” Mike said, Hopper by his side. 

“Okay,” El took the large trash bag from behind the counter and walked out into the back alley behind the bar. 

It was cool outside, and there was the faint smell of cigarettes. El could hear the sounds of the traffic in the streets nearby. It was so normal. El didn’t realize that there was anything to be afraid of. 

“Well, well, well,” Thomas’ voice came out from the shadows. “You would think after what I told you earlier that you would be smarter than to go out alone… but I guess not.”

El’s blood ran cold. “Thomas.”

“Please, Jane… like you didn’t know this was coming,” he said as he got closer to her. Too close. 

“You got what you wanted Thomas. We’re divorced. Leave and get over it,” El spat out at him. 

“Oh, you misunderstood me… You see, the only thing I’ve ever wanted from you was your loyalty… and if I can’t have you, no one can,” Thomas continued to get closer to El, who was backing up into the wall now.

“Please, Thomas… Go away,” El whispered. 

“Never,” he whispered back as he pinned her against the wall. 

But just as suddenly as Thomas had appeared, he was on the ground. El looked up to see who her savior was and was astonished to see Rachel, holding a wine bottle. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at El, almost as if she couldn’t believe her own actions. 

El looked down at Thomas’ body, which now laid limp on the pavement as blood pooled around his head. Rachel, still in shock, stared down at all the blood. 

“Rachel,” El finally said. 

Rachel looked up at El with her scared eyes.

“You saved us both,” El told her. And it was the truth. 

“Hey, El, what’s taking you so…. long…” Mike asked as he came through the door. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the scene before him. “Are you okay?” 

El just chuckled. A little inappropriate given the situation, but she couldn’t help it. It was all over. 

“Call 911,” she finally said without urgency. “Thomas is hurt very badly. He might need some medical assistance.” 

She said it ironically because she knew he was already dead, and she was finally, completely, and truly free. 

……..

Thomas Brenner was pronounced DOA as soon as the ambulance arrived. Mike, El, and Rachel were all questioned by the police. They told the truth about how Thomas had come back with the intentions of killing El, and that Rachel had saved her by hitting Thomas with the wine bottle. No one questioned the story. It was the truth. 

Finally, when it was all over, the sun was starting to come up. 

Mike put an arm around El. “Guess we won’t need that master plan anymore.”

El smiled. “No, we won’t… And you and I, we can do whatever we want. And we won’t have to be afraid ever again.”

“I love you, El.” 

“I love you, Mike.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that a lot of you were probably expecting something a little different than that ending of this chapter, but I hope that this still feels right to you and that you enjoyed. It was really important to me that Rachel was the one to ultimately put an end to Thomas' malicious actions because I felt like she really needed that character arc. I feel kinda weird about how I created this plotline because NO ONE guessed it outright, and I've had a lot of people sharing their ideas about what they thought would happen next. i guess, I'm just hoping I'm not disappointing anyone with how I chose to take Thomas out of the equation. 
> 
> We have just two more chapters left, the first of which will sort of wrap up things for this particular "era" in Mike and El's lives (this will likely be a little bit shorter of a chapter than what most of the chapters are); and the final chapter will be an epilogue taking place a few years down the road! 
> 
> Once again, thank you all for reading!


	14. Will You?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About Six Months Later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! This is a mini chapter for you, taking place six months after the previous chapter. I've been referring to this chapter in my head as the epilogue part 1. The actual epilogue will be the next (final) chapter!

Six Months Later

“Have a safe trip, Janie,” Hopper said through the phone. 

“We will… I’ll make sure to send you lots of pictures and get you a souvenir,” El replied as she packed her suitcase. She and Mike were about to go away for a much needed vacation to the beaches of Southern California. 

“I love you, talk soon?” Hopper asked. 

“Of course. Love you too,” El answered as she hung up the phone. 

It had been the best six months of El’s life. Living with Mike, meeting his family, and growing together without any fear made El happier than she’d been in years. After Thomas’ death, she’d started going to therapy, letting her old self return to the surface of her personality, and began creating new goals for herself. She wasn’t going to be a bartender forever, and thanks to the good amount of money that Thomas had before he died, she was doing very well financially. 

Something that her therapist had told her had resonated with El from the moment she had said it. The wounds we have are ultimately the gateways for the most beautiful and wonderful parts of our lives. El’s greatest wound was the trauma she had from falling in love with someone toxic, but without that wound, she wouldn’t have ever moved to Seattle. She would never have met Mike, the complete and ultimate love of her life. The thing about pain, El realized, is that you shouldn’t run away from it. Pain demands to be acknowledged. But once you understand it, you can move on, past it, and into the life you were meant to have. 

These are the things that have inspired El to keep moving on, to keep moving forward, and to keep loving hard. And someday, she thinks, she can inspire others too. 

But for now, she’s still a bartender, and that’s okay too. 

“You almost packed?” Mike asked, peeking his head into their bedroom. 

“Yep, just have to get a few more things from the bathroom, then I’ll be ready,” El said. 

Lucas and Max were driving them to the airport. They’d been together for a little more than six months now, and it made El happy to see her friends happy. The Party still hung out almost every day. For the first time in El’s life, she had a group of friends who she felt at home with. Max, her best friend. Lucas, the one who always answers when she calls. Dustin, the one who makes her laugh. Will, the one who will always be there for her no matter what. Mike, the one she’s madly in love with. 

Two days from now, when her life changes forever, she’ll fall for him all over again. 

……..

Mike’s nervous excitement is so obvious, he can’t believe that El hasn’t caught on yet. She has to realize that his hand is sweatier than usual as it sits in her palm. She has to notice the way he avoids staring into her eyes for too long. She has to see the way he’s been fidgeting the entire flight… But somehow she doesn’t. She has no clue what Mike is planning. 

Mike knew that loving El was something completely out of his control. Falling for her was easier than falling asleep, and he thanks his lucky stars that he had. He remembers how his mother reacted to El the first time they met, how quickly his mother noticed the seriousness of his feelings for El.

“She’s really wonderful, Michael,” she had told him. 

“Yeah, she is,” Mike had said in response. 

“You’re in love with her,” his mother had said. It wasn’t a question. 

“Yeah…. Yeah, I am,” he’d admitted without an ounce of embarrassment. 

El was the only girl he’d ever felt this way about. She was perfect for him…. She was the one. 

And so, two months ago, he’d talked El into this little vacation to the beach, a place she said she always wanted to go. A month later, he’d gone to a jeweler and picked out a ring. A ring that was now in the deepest pocket of his suitcase. 

It was hard to believe that a year ago, he was watching her from afar, admiring her beauty and anxiously thinking about asking for her number. He didn’t act on that impulse until months later. But it had all worked out because now he and El were living together, and so happy and in love. 

And with her father’s blessing, he would be asking her to marry him in less than 48 hours.

……..

El felt so peaceful as she walked down the beach with Mike’s hand in her own. She was barefoot, her toes dipping into the sand as the cool ocean waves occasionally rose to their shins. The sky was turning a bright pink orangish color. Almost sunset. 

“It’s so beautiful here,” El said. “I wish we could stay here forever.”

“Maybe we could,” Mike joked. “We could just forget about our jobs, throw our phones into the ocean, and live our lives.”

“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we go,” El told him. 

They walked in silence for a while longer as the sun got closer and closer to the ocean. After a while they sat down in the sand just watching as the sun started to set. 

“You know I love you more than anything,” Mike said. 

El smiled. “And I love you. More than anything.”

Mike reached into his pocket, pulling out a small velvet box. El’s heart started beating faster. He opened the box revealing a beautifully elegant diamond ring. 

“Marry me, El,” he said. 

“What?” El gasped in surprise. The sun was setting. 

“Marry me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that was pretty short, and kinda not necessary to include in the story, but I thought you all might enjoy it all the same. Everyone loves a good proposal! The final chapter, aka the actual epilogue, will be posted within a couple days. I'm so grateful for all of you readers and especially those of you who keep commenting and telling me to keep going. Much love! -Em


	15. epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an emotional journey, El finds herself exactly where she needs to be. 
> 
> Three Years Later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe we have finally reached the end of this fic! I have been writing this for TEN MONTHS! I can't thank you enough for reading this story. It truly means a lot to me, even if I entertain only one person.

Three Years Later

“As women, we have to stand up for ourselves. We can’t stay silent. And we can never give up… because the moment we give up is the moment that we let that other person control our life…. Our lives should be our own. For me, running away was the only thing I could think of to do to save myself. I didn’t know that there were other things I could do to protect myself. And that’s why I’m talking to you all today…. I was once a victim… I let my ex-husband take over my life. I let him control me even when I had moved to a different state to get away from him. But then, something happened to me that changed everything…. I met someone who showed me what it meant to be loved. He showed me that there are good people in this world and that I couldn’t let this one bad person ruin the rest of my life. I learned how to not be afraid, and let those good people into my world…. Today, I am no longer a victim… I am a survivor,” El spoke into the microphone as a thousand college students watched from the seats of the auditorium. She was twenty-eight now, dressed smartly in her favorite skirt and suit jacket. 

“Thank you all for listening,” the president of the college said into the microphone. “We will now open up the floor for questions.”

Students from around the auditorium began to get in line behind a mic standing the middle aisle way. El waited for her first question. 

“How do you know if you are in an abusive relationship?” a girl asked, starting off the questioning.

“Well, there are a lot of factors that go into whether you are in a good or bad relationship,” El began. “Your partner can be abusive physically, mentally, emotionally, or sexually. They might be manipulative or they might force you into things you don’t want to do… But the major thing that I tell people to look out for in a relationship is if they feel one hundred percent safe with that person. If you don’t feel safe, you should leave before things get worse.”

“Can women be abusive too?” a boy asked. 

“Anyone can be abusive regardless of gender… This also include LGBT relationships. However, statistically speaking most abusive relationships are between a man and a woman, in which the man is the abuser. But this is certainly not always the case.”

There were over a hundred questions, and El did her best to answer all of them. It made her feel empowered to know that she was making a difference in these people’s lives, even if it was just by giving them information. 

“What about the guy? You know, the one that you said helped you feel loved? What happened with him?” a girl with dark hair asked. 

El smiled. “I married him.”

……..

El loved Indiana. It brought so many fun childhood memories to the front of her mind. They’d only been living here for six months, but El already felt so at home. She and Mike had bought a beautiful home that was split halfway between Indianapolis and her hometown, Hawkins. This way, she was only a thirty minute drive from her father and Mike was only a thirty minute drive from his work. 

As she rolled her suitcase back into her bedroom, she noticed how nicely Mike had kept their home while she had been away. As much as she loved spreading awareness of domestic violence and speaking at colleges around the country, she missed being home with Mike. Luckily, she usually was able to make her own schedule and never had leave Mike for more than a few days a month. 

El changed into comfortable clothes and then went to her kitchen to make some coffee. As she poured out two cups, she heard the doorbell ring and went to let in her guest. 

“Hey, El,” Rachel smiled when she opened the door. 

“Hey, Rachel,” El smiled back. “Come on in, I made coffee.”

After Thomas’s death, El and Rachel had grown closer, close enough now that they considered each other friends. El gave Rachel half of the money Thomas had left, including his estate. They had coffee or lunch whenever they had the time.

“How was your seminar?” Rachel asked as she sat on the couch next to El.

“It was good. We had over a hundred students ask questions,” El answered, taking a sip of her coffee. “We could really use you, you know. You’d be another great voice for our campaign… The money’s not bad either.”

Rachel shook her head. “Oh, you know I hate that public speaking shit. Besides, you’re the one with a good story. Mine’s just… meh.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t sell yourself short. I understand the public speaking thing, but you’re story isn’t just “meh”. It’s empowering. You saved a lot of innocent people that night,” El said. 

“Alright, alright,” Rachel smiled. “Enough of the heavy. Spill the tea. What’s the latest in your dad’s love affair?”

El sat up straighter. “Oh, you are not going to believe this…. The woman my dad is seeing is actually Will’s mom. Apparently they knew each other from high school, but then she moved away and had kids. She just moved back to Hawkins and now my dad is actually like a teenage boy having his first crush… It is too cute.”

Rachel laughed. “So you and Will might become brother and sister? That’s actually pretty cool. Byers is a sweetie pie.” Rachel had hung out with the Party on a few occasions over the years. 

“Yeah, I mean, it would be pretty great to have a brother, especially if it’s Will,” El replied. “I’ve always wanted siblings.”

“Did your parents not want to have any more kids after you?” Rachel asked. 

“Well, my mom sorta had problems with getting pregnant. I know it took them years before they were able to have me. She also had a miscarriage a few years before I was born. My dad used to call me his little miracle baby,” El explained. 

“So what about you and Mike?” Rachel asked. 

“What do you mean?” 

“When are you two gonna start having babies?” Rachel clarified. 

El choked a little on her coffee, which was decaf because she thought she might be possibly (definitely) pregnant. (At least that’s what the test she had taken earlier that morning had told her.)

“Um… I don’t know,” El lied. “We haven’t really decided.”

……..

El was never particularly good at keeping secrets, especially when it comes to Mike. And boy, does she have a huge one. But she can’t tell Mike yet because they had already made plans with their friends, who would only be in town for a few days visiting. In fact, El gets to spend exactly five minutes alone with Mike when he gets home from work before Max, Lucas, Dustin, and Will show up. 

Even with the extra distance between Mike and El and their friends, the Party was very much still best friends. They got to see Will the most, since his mom now lived nearby and he got to travel for work. The rest of the Party still lived pretty permanently in Seattle, though Max and Lucas were thinking about moving to California, where Max had grown up. Dustin had a girlfriend now, who was a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle. And Will had even met someone in Chicago on a trip for work. They were doing the long distance thing for now, but El was pretty sure that Will would eventually move back to Chicago. 

But tonight was a night they had been planning for a while. Even being able to see her friends for a few days made El feel so happy and whole. And so El tried to forget about the fact that she was pregnant and didn’t have time to tell Mike while their friends were around. Hopefully she would still be able to relax and have some fun. 

“Pizza, friends, and a Star Wars marathon?” Dustin said, plopping down on the couch. “I don’t think it gets much better than this.”

“Nerd,” Max teased, taking a bite out of her slice of pizza. 

“Oh, and you’re not?” Dustin challenged.   
“Nope,” Max grinned. “I’m about ten times cooler than all you guys… except maybe El…. I’m only about twice as cool as she is.”

“Hey!” El shouted.

“Sorry, Ellie. You lose points for being married to the king of the nerds,” Max told her. 

Mike flipped her off. 

“Hey now, Max. Be nicer to our friends… or I’ll tell them just how nerdy you are,” Lucas wiggled his eyebrows. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Max glared at him. 

“Actually, Max is a huuuuge nerd, guys,” Lucas started.

“No,” Max said. 

“Yeah, the other night she told me about a little fantasy of hers…” Lucas continued. “A certain fantasy in which she was Princess Leia and I was Hans Solo.”

Dustin gagged. 

“We don’t need to hear that shit,” Mike replied with a grimace. 

“Let’s watch the movie now,” Will suggested, trying to change the subject. 

It was a long night, but for the most part, El was able to keep her secret and have fun. There was only one moment when she was afraid that Mike would figure it out before she told him. He had gotten a beer from the fridge and sat back down next to her on the loveseat. Usually, on nights like these, they would share a beer. He offered the beer to her after one sip and she’d turned it down. Mike briefly looked confused and a little concerned. It was unusual for El to not drink with him. But the moment passed, and he’d been pulled into a conversation with Will about work. 

Finally, at midnight, when their friends left, El felt like she had a moment to breathe. Only that moment lasted only for a minute before she realized that now she had to actually tell him. Her palms started to sweat. 

She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous. She knew he wanted kids. They’d talked about it a lot, especially in the last year. They weren’t trying to get pregnant yet, but they weren’t not trying either. 

“Mike,” El said softly. She stood awkwardly in the doorway of their bedroom as he sat on the bed. 

“Hm?” 

“I have to tell you something,” she managed to say. 

“What is it, El?” Mike looked at her with concern. He was always worried about her. 

“I took a pregnancy test today,” El admitted. 

Mike looked shocked. “And was it….?”

“Positive….” El smiled. “Yeah, it was.”

“You’re pregnant?” Mike began to smile himself. 

El felt tears well up in her eyes. “Yes.”

Mike didn’t say another word, but stood up and kissed her with all the love he could pour into the kiss. 

For a moment, all El could think about were her bare feet. The feet that had once ran for her life in the cold, damp grass after she’d forgotten her shoes. The same ones that had taken her on a journey, an unbelievable and imperfect journey where she’d felt more pain and more love she could have imagined for this one life she had. The ones that had walked bare in the sand on the night that Mike had proposed to her. The ones that stood on the carpet now in the home where she would get to raise a family with the love of her life, the other half of her own soul. 

And for each moment of the rest of her life, she would cherish this very moment in which she felt so loved and so incredibly happy that her heart was full to the brink. After everything she’d been through, she’d do it all again for this. 

For him. 

..................................

Soundtrack for this story:  
*Moral of the story - ashe   
*Lose you to love me - Selena Gomez   
Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol  
Wrong Direction - Hailee Steinfeld  
The Night We Met - Lord Huron  
hostage - Billie Eilish   
*I Won’t Give Up - Jason Mraz   
Breathe - Anna Nalick  
Fine Line - Harry Styles  
*Consequences - Camila Cabello   
*Feel Again - One Republic   
*Black and White - Niall Horan

** All songs marked with asterisks have lyrics that can be directly applied to a character in this story. The rest of the songs were added to the playlist based off the general ~feeling~ they give off. I hope you take the time to listen to at least a few of these songs. They provided a lot of inspiration for me while writing this story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready because this is going to be a loong authors note. First of all, if this story seemed at all familiar to you, I had several stories that inspired this one. If you are a Grey's Anatomy fan, and know about Jo Wilson and her story, then you should definitely be able to see how much it inspired me and make some connections. (Cough, cough, set in Seattle lol). Another thing that sparked some ideas for this story was the very first song on the playlist above: Moral of the Story by ashe. I strongly urge you to listen to that masterpiece because it tells a story very similar to Thomas and El's. 
> 
> Writing about something as traumatizing as domestic violence was really difficult. I was always afraid to make things too triggering for some people, but I also wanted to be authentic and spread awareness. If you or a loved one has been affected by domestic violence or toxic relationships, please do not hesitate to reach out to someone for help. Thank you all for bearing with me and sticking around even when I wasn't able to post as often. I know how annoying that can be and I'm so glad that you all were so encouraging. 
> 
> If you would like to see more fics from me (from a variety of fandoms, but primarily ST), please please follow me on Tumblr! @welcome-to-the-upside-down-011 
> 
> I have plans to update both of my mileven one shot series in the next week. It might be a couple months before I attempt to write another multichapter AU for mileven, BUT I am currently fleshing out a Teenage Jopper prequel to ST. It won't be as long as most of my multichapter stories, but it will explore some of that odd ~tension~ we've seen between Joyce and Hopper in the show that made you wonder what happened between them when they were young. Let me know in the comments if that is something you would be interested in!!


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